The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is barely underway, but we already have an announcing controversy. That comes from the Australian Channel Seven (broadcast TV) coverage of their own team, with announcer David Basheer making quite the remark on Matildas’ midfielder Katrina Gorry.
Gorry has been a key figure for Australia since making her national team debut at 19 in 2012. But she missed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (actually held in 2021 thanks to COVID-19) due to pregnancy, giving birth to daughter Harper that year. She’s been back with the Matildas since last year, though, and is again an important part of their squad. And after Australia’s Stephanie Catley scored on a 52nd-minute penalty in the Matildas’ opener against the Republic of Ireland Thursday morning, Basheer commented on the celebrations, and said “The smile says it all from Katrina Gorry. Certainly motherhood has not blunted her competitive instincts, that’s for sure.” That took a lot of Twitter criticism. Here’s some of that:
https://twitter.com/cinegirl14/status/1681987716341436417
https://twitter.com/VanessaLiell/status/1682129485884432384
Basheer is a long-time figure in Australian soccer, and is particularly known for his Special Broadcasting Service public broadcaster commentary from 2007-2018. He’s also worked in radio, for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, for ESPN Star Sports, and beyond.
If Basheer had merely commented on Gorry’s return to play not long after giving birth, there probably wouldn’t have been much controversy here. But the way he chose to do so with “motherhood has not blunted her competitive instincts” certainly caused a stir. And it’s the second notable controversy this week around male announcers’ commentary on women’s sports, following Italy’s RAI suspending announcers Lorenzo Leonarduzzi and Massimiliano Mazzucchi over sexist and racist remarks on athletes at the World Aquatics Championships.
[Pedestrian.tv; Basheer image from a 2020 interview with The Informer]
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.