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WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16, 2003: India is having to bare the brunt for golfer Vijay Singh’s unpopular stand on a woman golfer joining the men’s tour. Singh, a Fijian of Indian ancestry, has briefly become one of the American sporting world’s targets, right up there with the Augusta National for refusing women members, because of his opposition to top female golfer Annika Sorenstam playing the men’s circuit for one match. Some sports journalists are attributing Singh’s stand to his Indian heritage. “Singh isn’t a racist; he’s a sexist. And he comes by it naturally. His birth certificate might say Fiji, but Singh is Indian by heritage. Nothing against India or Hinduism, but it’s certainly fair to say that culture hasn’t been at the fore when it comes to gender equity,” Washington Times sportswriter Barker Davis wrote. USA Today columnist Jon Saraceno was even harsher. “What we also have is a clash of cultures and social dogmas,” he began. “Sorenstam is from Sweden, a liberal, open society. She’s probably wondering what the fuss is about. I doubt she possesses the same traditional male-female notions of Singh, born in Fiji to Indian parents. I don’t know how much Singh was influenced by his ancestry, if at all, but this much I do know,” Saraceno continued, “The institutionalized subordination, exploitation and brutalization of women remains ingrained in that society. ‘Bride burning’ still occurs. From 1999-2001, a total of 6,347 Indian women were murdered by fire, according to Indian government statistics.” Golfers of other ethnic backgrounds have also criticized her participation, with Singh singled out for special condemnation. Following his controversial interview, Singh has clarified that he was opposed to Sorenstam playing with men purely on sporting grounds, because the game takes greater upper body strength and Sorenstam would fare poorly among men, and that his comments came out “sounding wrong.”

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