For women in sports, 2022 was a momentous year indeed. Emerging from the ashes of the COVID-19 pandemic, sporting events regained the global footing they deserve. What’s even more remarkable are the announcements made not only for women-oriented series and leagues to be held in 2023, but also regarding pay equity. The BCCI announced its commitment to gender equality in cricket by announcing equal pay for both men and women cricketers. This, and many other events have renewed hopes for women athletes everywhere, including in India.
Change is afoot, and it is clearly reflected in the sporting events roster for 2023. This year, there are multiple global sporting events which are all about women, or will feature women athletes attempting their best to win big. Here are all the major sports events of 2023 that you need to get on your watch-list to cheer on every woman in sports.
FIFA Women’s World Cup
To be held between July 20 and August 20, 2023, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Started in 1991 as a 12-team football tournament for women, this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup will see 32 nations participating. The participating nations include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China PR, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea Republic, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Vietnam, and Zambia.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
Scheduled to be held between February 10 and 26, 2023, in South Africa, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was originally supposed to be held around the end of 2022. The International Cricket Council (ICC) postponed the event to 2023 due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The nations qualifying for this international cricket tournament are Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh and Ireland. The Indian team will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, with Smriti Mandhana as her deputy.
Women’s IPL
While the exact details of the women’s Indian Premier League have not been chalked out or announced yet, the BCCI’s rumour mills suggest the debut season of the event will probably take place in the first week of March and will include five teams. Recently, five Indian Premier League franchises—Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings—have shown an interest in buying the five teams set to play. While the venue has not yet been decided, Mumbai, with three excellent cricket stadiums, may host the first ever women’s IPL.
Asian Games
Originally scheduled to be held in September 2022, the Asian Games 2023 will now be held from September 30 to October 8. The Asian Games were postponed due to the spread of COVID-19 in the host city of Hangzhou, China. This will be the 19th edition of the Asian Games, and will be held in China for the third time. From athletics, wrestling and boxing to hockey and kabaddi, the Asian Games always give Indian sportspersons—both men and women—plenty of opportunities to shine and win glory for the nation. With the best of Indian women in sports qualifying for the Games, every event in the multi-sport gala will be worth the wait.
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix
While the exact dates for the prestigious event have not been announced, it was recently declared that India will be hosting the chess tournament known as FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in 2023. The event is most likely to be held in Delhi. The FIDE Women’s Grand Prix is a reputed chess tournament featuring 16 players in a round robin format. In recent years, Indian players like Harika Dronavalli, Koneru Humpy, Tania Sachdev and IM Vaishali have been making a mark on international chess, so the hopes of Indian women doing well in the tournament are running high.