Women In Sports

"I think African things are really getting better the last cup of Nations was real quality teams have buckled up prepare hard, trained hard and it was pretty difficult."

"We will be judged on cowardice. If we don't do what's right for women in sport. It's a very worthy cause. What women have been given through sport in this role in their life, it's really priceless. And so we can decide that that's worth saving, that's worth holding on to and investing in for our future. Or we can just say, hey you know what: we've got this little side agenda that has a strong really loud voice and we're either going to yield to it or not."

"Don’t be scared to live your faith. When I was young and went on my first trip I was hesitant to speak up and say that I wanted to go to Mass. When I stuck to it and showed that I lived my faith I got respect from my teammates."

"Tennis is such a fantastic sport for everyone to be involved in and it is my passion.We have young players who are doing well and so they need to focus on the rich techniques and realise how important that is at this stage,said the mother of one."

"Regardless of the difficulties or frustrations you meet, you should think about your initial intention, and then you feel peaceful. For me, I enjoy the game and so I’m doing what I like."

"Tennis is only a sport, and we don’t intend to get involved in politics."

"From the beginning year I was doing lot of fitness and also, like, I keep practice, try to improve my game. Maybe this time I find a way or I catch, like, right time."

"I admit I am not a good girl, but a very very bad girl."

"I know that for someone of your stature, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, you have said that you are not afraid. But even if it is like throwing an egg against rock, or if I am like a moth drawn to the flame, inviting self-destruction, I will tell the truth about you."

"[In the evening], I had dinner with you and Antie Jie Kang together. After dinner, I still didn't want to do it, and you said you hated me! And you told me you had never forgotten me over past seven years, that you would treat me well and so on ... Scared and panicked, and with the feelings I had for you seven years ago, I agreed [to have sex]... Yes, we indeed had sex."

"While some young tennis players are inspired by what they see on television,or at a tennis club,Cara Black's introduction to the sport came to be in her own background on the fur grass courts her father constructed and at the Black farming farm in Harare Zimbabwe, the Tennis international Federation said.""

"My husband will travel with us and will be looking after the boy all the time. That will be great. I will definitely have a new coach, but my husband will always be there as he helps me on the mental side of the game.I will just test in a few tournaments and work on getting my ranking back. I would like to go with a new perspective and hopefully do even better. I have a home now so I just have to enjoy my game without putting myself under pressure at all.”"

"I miss playing a lot and started practising three weeks ago with a view of playing again,” said Cara, who made a career prize money of US$6 515 415 after turning professional in 1998.I will see how my body recovers and will play a few challengers tournaments in October to see how it goes since I now have the baby.""

"I travel with my two and a half year old son because i want to.He is my first priority as well as my husband.So apart from a busy schedule in the courts ,it has also been a time of sleepless nights at home.""

"My advice to young girls who want to get into motocross or any sport is to always remember where you came from. The road is not easy, not everyone wishes the best for you or will support you. Always keep your head up and remember to never give up! Everything takes time, sacrifice, and determination. It will all be worth it in the end."

"I can compare myself and relate to Mutesi, the Queen of Katwe when she had international chess tournaments. She was made fun of because of her background, but that didn't stop her from doing what she loved."

"Women need education to open them up to the realization that abuse is prevalent and they need to find ways to overcome it."

"Walk out while they still have the chance. They may not have the same opportunity as me."

"They have to look inside themselves and note what they want to do with their lives. If they know this, it will help them be vigilant about their own lives."

"I don't drown in self-pity. That is past now. Now I am the new me, in a wheelchair."

"Culturally, women are not allowed to speak out against their husbands. When they try to talk to them or voice their concerns, men become threatened. They don't really like it. So they take action."

"I looked at my life and said, I can use my story to help women. If I don't tell my story, who else is going to do that?"

"To find myself in that bottomless pit took so much courage to rise."

"I want to see a young girl who is educated and who is proud of themselves enough to say, "I did this" and they don't need any validation from anyone."

"The red flags had always been there. I just needed to have spotted the moment and left."

"My Goal in Botswana is to see the life of young girl changed, is to see a brave girl who is courageous enough to walk out when they are in situation of violence."

"Gender based violence is for all that is why it is equally imperative to balance the conversations by involving men. Women cannot do it alone, because women do not beat themselves up, they do not kill themselves nor do they rape themselves. The have carried this fight for too long. They have cried, they have marched, they have partitioned, they have danced, they have screamed about the issue of GBV now its time that also you men hold each other accountable and help women fight this monster."

"All these things happen because as a country, as individuals, we have lost the village, we have lost the community, we have lost that thing that used to hold us together, that thing that we call botho or humility. Women- we are slowly losing that thing that is the glue that used to hold us together, but that glue is not holding anymore. Young boys are left in a latch with no role models to look up to. The only way that they learn to express themselves is only to excat force nad be aggressive."

"Innocent lives are being lost, it is entirely up to us, each and every one of us to raise awareness in all ways possible because the future of our kids depend on it."

"The fundamental question that we need to ask ourselves is today, What is that, that women have done to men that is so bad, that men cant forgive? It seems like there is so much rage that men are out for blood, what is the problem? Until we ask ourselves these undesirable tough questions, until we look deep within ourselves as individuals, as women and as men and introspect and allow all these stories that we share with you to be a reminder that no one is immune to violence."

"Our biggest downfall as women is, not reporting cases and/or dropping them when we should be letting the law take its course, this alone works against our fighting spirit for gender equality"

"It's very important that women realize they have great potential they can [reach] without depending on men for everything."

"Being able to open up teaches you so many fundamental values about yourself and also increases your confidence in looking out to the world, facing them and strengthening yourself."

"She is a brave girl. The way she is organised and determined is so amazing. She gives me a reason to empower women. It is at this age that they need to know that nothing can stop them just because they are girls. If she beats boys then nothing can stop her."

"Her commitment to giving back comes from her father who always encouraged her to help others."

"Tanyaradzwa started racing at the age of five and is the first female to have won a motocross championship in Zimbabwe since it was started in 1957. She finished second in the 2012 championship season."

"Motocross is a sport that you barely hear about especially in Africa and few girls are exposed to it. I wanted to inspire girls out there and show them that anything is possible if you put your mind and heart to it. I have experienced gender criticism from a lot of people because of the sport that l play. I know a lot of sports that girls want to try motocross but fear to do it because of what people will say. I want to change that."

"Invest for the future and do not lose focus. In life you should know what you want then it will not be easy for someone to shift your focus."

"You must have goals and set targets to achieve them."

"To taste God’s air, the adrenaline rush on track, thousands of people all eyes on me, fans chanting a name not friendly to a foreign tongue, ‘It’s Amantle Moncho from Botswana!"

"Age has caught up, and only God knows how much my heart fills with excitement for every moment I represented Botswana and Africa at large"

"There is no Amantle Montsho without the people"

"It was always exciting to represent my country on the international stage. Imagine the adrenaline rush when I step on the track knowing that all eyes are on me. That made it extra special. I had fans from all over the world but the support back home was the best"

"Refrain from things that will ruin your career."

"When I look back at my career, the 1998 Commonwealth Games are one of the high points"

"If I had been able to run naked today, I would have. "Unfortunately I couldn’t, because my daughter was here watching… She wouldn’t like it if her mother was running without her clothes on."

"Takahashi’s run in Berlin made it so much easier for me. "It was like she broke a barrier. Before, women didn't think we could go under 2:20. In future, the next generation will run under 2:18. Maybe they will break 2:15 one day."

"“I always felt I could close the gap once I started pushing the pace.”"

"From the Bible I have learned if you want something good, you must sacrifice."

"I still do intense interval training. I like miles and quarters best. In races I can set my mind, and I believe I could break 2:20 again."