Michelle Obama hails Billie Jean King as US Open celebrates 50 years of equal prize cash

Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of equal prize cash on the US Open held at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday evening (August 28).

Obama spoke in regards to the uphill battle girls’s tennis gamers confronted fifty years in the past when males have been paid as much as eight instances greater than girls within the sport. She highlighted the hard-fought battle for equal pay and hailed former World No.1 and American nice Billie Jean King.

Michelle Obama got here out to rejoice 50 years of equal prize cash on the US Open:

“50 years in the past, males have been paid as a lot as 8 instances greater than girls. Then there have been people like Bobby Riggs on the market making ridiculous statements like ‘women belong in the bedroom & kitchen’.. Billieâ€æ pic.twitter.com/Q2joIauFob
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 29, 2023

Obama drew reference to the sports activities world’s patriarchal previous, quoting Bobby Riggs’ audacious assertion that “women belong in the bedroom & kitchen.” She then praised the energy and resolve of Billie Jean King.

“50 years ago, men were paid as much as 8 times more than women. Then there were folks like Bobby Riggs out there making ridiculous statements like ‘women belong in the bedroom & kitchen’.. Billie Jean (King) had a choice,” Obama mentioned.

“She could put her head down, keep winning tournament after tournament & accept whatever check she was given. Or she could dig deep & break serve. She could make a stand. If you know BillIe Jean, you know what she chose to do. She rallied other players, barricading together in a hotel, forming a coalition, finding sponsors, using their platform to force people to listen. Thankfully the organizers of the US Open had the guts to listen.”

The 2023 US Open noticed the prize cash pool soar to a record-breaking USD 65 million, the very best within the historical past of the match. Defined by gender equality, the champions, each female and male, every will obtain USD 3 million, exhibiting a big enhance from the earlier yr’s USD 2.6 million.

The remuneration equality attained within the US Open match is a landmark achievement in sports activities. It showcases the development in direction of a extra equitable world, the place expertise, prowess, and onerous work are rewarded, no matter gender.

Published On:

Aug 29, 2023