If you caught Australia’s first match at the FIFA Women’s World Cup last night, you would know The Matildas beat Ireland, 1-0, in a truly inspiring victory.
Those watching the broadcast, however, might have also noticed some disappointing commentary from the media.
Channel 7 sports commentator, David Basheer, has been slammed after making a patronising comment about Matildas’ midfielder Katrina Gorry.
“The smile says it all from Katrina Gorry. Certainly motherhood has not blunted her competitive instincts, that’s for sure,” he commented as the team, including Gorry, celebrated the match-clinching penalty scored by Steph Catley.
Sorry, what?
Gorry welcomed her daughter, Harper, in 2021. She returned to the sport in April 2022.
Naturally, fans were quick to respond to Basheer’s controversial take.
“Can the male commentating the Matildas’ Ireland game please refrain from suggesting it’s great a player’s competitive instinct hasn’t changed since she had a child?” writer Dr Victoria Fielding wrote.
“Why on earth would a woman’s sporting drive change through childbirth? You wouldn’t say it to a father playing sport.”
Meanwhile, Australian journalist Emma Alberici repeated Basheer’s statement and simply added: “huh?”
Many were quick to question Basheer’s apparent view of motherhood as being incompatible with drive and competition.
“Don’t know if that commentator has ever met a mother… The most instinctively competitive people on earth,” comedian Dan Ilic tweeted.
“So disappointing…. And also what a strange concept of motherhood which is so demanding physically, mentally and emotionally,” another person commented.
Winning both on the field and off, The Matildas star recently announced her engagement to partner Clara Markstedt, whom also happens to be Gorry’s teammate in Sweden, where they both play for Vittsjö GIK.
Fortunately, bias commentary hasn’t ‘blunted’ the spirit of Matildas fans, with crowds of over 75,000 attending the match at Sydney’s Stadium Australia on Thursday night.
Even more spilled into public viewing spaces to cheer on the Matildas during this historic sporting event.
As Matildas forward Kyah Simon described in a recent interview with ELLE Australia, the opportunity to host a women’s world cup is “a monumental moment in Australian sporting history”.
“Grasping the idea that we have the potential to inspire a nation, to inspire many boys and girls across the country and around the world, is something that we as a team don’t take lightly,” she said. “We know we have this massive opportunity to make the country proud and I hope that we do that.”
Let’s hope the commentary can do the same.
Marie claire has reached out to Channel 7 for comment.
For their next match, The Matildas are set to take on Nigeria on Thursday, July 27. The match will be held at Brisbane stadium, with the live broadcast via Channel 7 or Optus Sport.
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