A Channel 7 commentator has been torched online after he made a truly offensive comment about a Matildas player during the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Sports commentator David Basheer was covering the Australia v Ireland match on Thursday at Sydney’s Stadium Australia when he dropped the thoughtless quip.
After the Matildas scored the goal that won them the game and their players celebrated making history, Basheer decided to drop this foul comment:
“The smile says it all from Katrina Gorry,” he said.
“Certainly motherhood has not blunted her competitive instincts, that’s for sure.”
Um, what the actual fuck?
Katrina Gorry gave birth to her adorable bub Harper in 2021. Why this is relevant to her competitiveness as a soccer player I have no idea.
The response to Basheer’s comment, which implied motherhood and athleticism are incompatible, were obviously disgusted.
“Fucking seriously?” one Twitter user wrote.
“Take this fucking dinosaur of a commentator off the air.
“It’s the Women’s World Cup, maybe don’t have a man with archaic views talk. FFS”.
“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?,” another Twitter user wrote.
“Why on earth would a woman’s sporting drive change through childbirth? You wouldn’t say it to a father playing sport.”
Another Twitter user called it “painfully ignorant”.
Others called the comment “embarrassing” and “insulting”.
Sexism appears to be well and truly alive this World Cup, with FIFA itself being slammed for only hiring male commentators. See where that fkn gets you?
Despite the continuous bullshit, the Matildas have absolutely slayed though — imagine how much more powerful these legends would be if they didn’t have to deal with this BS every day.
Channel 7 and Basheer are yet to comment on the backlash or apologise.
