As much as we are passionate about raising the profile of women’s sport, we also want to draw closer to our ever-growing online community. As part of this initiative, we will be profiling our gsport members, who are leading the way in championing the growth of women’s sport.
Today. we feature Niskha Sookdev, who is passionate about sport and women empowerment.
Sookdev was introduced to sport by her family who are avid cricket supporters and from a young age she was exposed to the game.
She says that from the first time she laid her eyes on various sporting codes she has been hooked and is eager to play her part to change the face of women’s sport in particular.
Sookdev decided to join the gsport community as she was interested in learning more about women’s sport in South Africa and abroad and believes that she can offer her support through the initiative.
Speaking with Celine Abrahams, Sookdev chats about the women in sport who inspire her and the importance of building your own brand.
Where does your love of sport come from?
My parents have always been big cricket supporters, so from a young age I was exposed to the game, from attending matches to getting to meet my favourite cricket heroes because of bilateral series, ICC tournaments and the IPL being played in South Africa.
I had fallen in love with the game. My parents would also follow the World Cups for various sports like rugby and soccer, so I got hooked onto that as well. My love for sport comes from my parents!
Which South African women in sport inspire you the most?
I have four South African sports women that I admire the most. Kass Naidoo being South Africa’s first female cricket commentator and having been on the panel of commentators at the recent Pakistan Super League, Caster Semenya, Elma Smit who was a presenter at the recent ICC Cricket World Cup, and Natalie Germanos who was a commentator at the recent Women’s T20 World Cup.
Why did you become a member of gsport?
As I got older, I started to notice that the female sports teams and female sports personalities in the country, as well as female sports tournaments and leagues around the world don’t get enough recognition and don’t have as big a platform as the men’s teams, personalities and tournaments.
Being part of gsport, I get to read about the women in sports in South Africa and around the world as well as get frequent updates about female teams, personalities and tournaments. I get to support other women in sports through this platform. I am all about women empowerment.
“Many are amazed when they see my passion for cricket because I’m a “girl”, and it’s time to break all stereotypes.” – gsport Member, Nishka Sookdev
My passion for cricket especially, speaking about it, blogging about it led to me to gsport. I’ve noticed not many females blog or speak about sport in this day and age which is why I admire women in cricket like Kass Naidoo and Zainab Abbas. There aren’t too many content creators for sport either. Many are amazed when they see my passion for cricket because I’m a “girl”, and it’s time to break all stereotypes.
Why is it important for SA women in sport to build their brands?
It’s important for SA women in sport to build their brands because building your brand helps distinguish you from the rest, it makes you stand out and we as SA women in sport need to stand out from the rest.
What do we need to help the cause of women being able to establish professional careers in sport?
We need to advertise and promote the women in sport. We need to get the superstars in sport to promote women in sport and show their support, this would increase viewership and support. We could go to schools and promote women in sport and encourage young girls to take up sport. Something like increased sponsorship from big brands increases the viewership of the sport and brings in a bigger audience. Increased advocacy and recognition also help.
How have you been able to keep a focus on an active/healthy lifestyle during #LockdownSA?
Yoga, dance, playing backyard cricket and recently I’ve been able to take my dogs for daily walks.
Photo 1 Caption: As part of gsport’s series to get to know more about our members, we have taken to interviewing those in our community and today, we feature Niskha Sookdev, who is passionate about sports and women empowerment. Photo: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: Sookdev was introduced to sport by her family who are avid cricket supporters and from a young age she was exposed to the game. Photo: Supplied
Photo 3 Caption: She says that from the first time she laid her eyes on various sporting codes she has been hooked and is eager to play her part to change the face of women’s sport in particular. Photo: Supplied
Photo 4 Caption: Sookdev decided to join the gsport community as she was interested in learning more about women’s sport in South Africa and abroad and believes that she can offer her support through the initiative. Photo: Supplied
Photo 5 Caption: Speaking with Celine Abrahams, Sookdev chats about the women in sport who inspire her and the importance of building your own brand. Photo: Supplied
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