By Salome Ansah and Faustina Siaw
A Sports facilitator at the KNUST Basic School in Kumasi, Mrs Francisca Akoto Agyapong, has debunked the notion that females who venture into sports develop masculine features.
Rather, she said that when females engage in sporting activities, they maintain their health and are always physically and mentally fit and energetic. Madam Akoto Agyapong disclosed this in an interview in Kumasi as the world marks International Women’s Day.
Mrs Akoto Agyapong has been in the sports discipline for the past 10 years and shared her experience with the general public. She said that when it comes to women in sports, it is crucial to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions that have persisted for a very long time.
According to Mrs Agyapong, women have been making remarkable strides in the world of athletics, proving time and again that they are a force to be reckoned with. This notwithstanding, pervasive misconceptions still exist.
“This is a misconception right but if you get into it, you will know that it is not like that. Those outside can say that, but as I am standing here, you can see me. You see that all the body is soft, or can you see anything muscular about me? No. If I don’t tell you, you will not even know that I’m a sports person. So that misconception is not right. We have to engage our women and then talk to them that being in sports even makes the body relax. It does not make you masculine; you cannot develop breasts or you can’t give birth,” Mrs. Agyapong indicated.
Mrs Agyapong, who is also a Maths tutor, encouraged parents to allow their female wards to pursue any sporting discipline of their choice, particularly those dominated by their male counterparts.
“One thing I have learned is that a sound mind is in a sound body. All those who are in sports are physically good, and there are advantages in sports in terms of health. A lot of avenues are in sports. As I was saying, you will finish school, and it’s difficult to get a school. Moreover, if you are into sports, schools will be rushing you. I considered all these and said I would engage in sports. There are a lot of challenges, but we say charity begins at home but does not end there. We have to make sure that we psych our children who are into sports. Talk to them to let them know that, they are there for a purpose, not to join a bad company and get pregnant. There should be more public education, especially on the airwaves, to advocate support for women who have an interest in male-dominated sports,” Mrs Agyapong explained.
