When women step onto the sporting field, they are expected to perform at the highest level, run faster, hit harder, train longer. Yet, the moment their bodies begin to reflect that strength, society often turns hostile. Muscular arms, broad shoulders, powerful thighs are quickly labelled “manly,” as though strength itself is a gendered flaw. The whole system of mocking women for their athletic bodies is not just limited to being casual banter, it is deeply rooted in misogyny that is always on the forefront of policing women on how they are allowed to look, move, walk, talk and exist. For athletes like Smriti Mandhana, who is now known as one of India's most celebrated cricketers, this scrutiny becomes public to more people, more eyes and thus
invites more hate, going far beyond performance. Despite her consistency, leadership, and above all, international acclaim, conversations online and offline frequently turn towards her physique, rather than her achievements. This pattern is not unique to just Mandhana but it also mirrors the experiences of women athletes across sports, from football to cricket and from weightlifting to athletics.
The False Binary of Feminine vs Strong
At the heart of this prejudice is the rigid idea of femininity, that women should be soft, fragile, delicate and visually, conventionally pretty while athletic power is coded to be masculine and not 'pretty' for a woman. When a woman's body challenges this binary, it ends up unsettling comfort zones. Instead of questioning the stereotype, society points fingers at the woman, calling them 'ugly,' 'manly' and rejecting them as anything close to beautiful. Strength becomes something she must justify, apologise for, or “balance” with traditional beauty to remain acceptable.This mindset ignores a basic biological truth: elite sport reshapes the body by design. Muscle development, endurance, and bone density are not aesthetic choices but functional outcomes of rigorous training. Criticising these changes is, in effect, criticising the very discipline that makes sporting excellence possible.
Media, Mockery, and the Cost of Commentary
Media representation plays a significant role in reinforcing these biases. Male athletes are praised for looking powerful, aggressive, and dominant—traits framed as proof of commitment. Women athletes, however, are often reduced to appearance-led narratives: who looks “graceful,” who is “still feminine,” who needs styling advice. When online trolling escalates to mocking “manly builds,” it sends a damaging message to young girls watching from the sidelines.The psychological toll of this fiasco is also very real. Studies and personal athlete testimonies have time and again proven that body shaming can lead to anxiety, disordered eating and self-doubt, even for those who are considered to be high-performing professionals. For younger athletes, it can be deterrent altogether that keeps then for pursuing sports because what if they are ridiculed once they become successful?
The Myth That Sports Make Women “Manly”
Amongst all of this talk, one of the most persistent misconceptions is that playing sports will automatically make a woman look "too masculine." This fear has been passed down through communities and families alike, and so girls have been kept away from physical activity. It also reinforces the idea that women’s bodies exist primarily for visual approval, not function, health, or capability.In reality, sports empower women with strength, confidence, resilience and bodily autonomy. The irony is stark to notice here; society applauds women's empowerment in theory but resists it when empowerment visibly alters their image of what a female body should look like.
Redefining Strength on Women’s Terms
Athletes like Smriti Mandhana challenge the misogynistic narratives simply by existing unapologetically in their strength. Their success forces a re-evaluation of what women’s bodies can and should be allowed to look like. The conversation must shift from aesthetics to achievement, from judgment to respect.Mocking women athletes for their bodies is not harmless humour—it is a mechanism of control, designed to keep women within narrow limits. Dismantling this requires better media practices, stronger institutional support, and, most importantly, a cultural willingness to let women be powerful without qualification.Because strength is not “manly.” It is human. And women athletes have earned every ounce of it.
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