Keeping the cheer isn146;t easy

The first organised yell on a football field by a cheerleader goes as far back as 1890 in America.

The first organised yell on a football field by a cheerleader goes as far back as 1890 in America. The idea behind a cheerleading squad was to pep up things in the stadium, motivate the players and generate some buzz. Over the years, this has evolved into a quasi-sport where girls have to be athletes, skilled gymnasts and graceful dancers to qualify for their school cheerleading teams.

It8217;s a national shame for India that 100 years after cheerleaders first came into being, the foreign girls who are simply doing their job at the IPL are complaining about lewd men harassing them from the stands. The so-called puritanical custodians of cricket, who say the phenomenon of cheerleaders is despicable and degrading to the game, should take a hard, brutal look at the cricket lovers they let into the stadium. For it appears that some of these cricket enthusiasts are a despicable bunch, whose idea of fun is to make obscene gestures at young girls who are guests in our country.

A more sound argument against cheerleader squads is that India, by and large, can8217;t handle 6-foot tall, scantily-clad, perfectly shaped blondes doing a harmless, naughty number during a game. It probably isn8217;t safe for them to perform here. We may be shining economically, but the average Indian male remains hopelessly conservative. Leave aside these foreign performers, Indian models and actresses are constantly complaining about how unsafe they feel in public places.

Clearly, Indian cricket needed these cheerleaders. Considering there8217;s a match every day, how does the BCCI prevent chronic cricket fatigue and keep up interest in the game? Like Bollywood producers who resort to a sexy item number to pull in the crowds, the cheerleaders add a touch of glamour to a sport that a lot of us might be getting weary of. Keeping up a smile, a chant and never missing a beat while a bunch of goons leer at them from above, one must salute the spirit of these cheerleaders. They certainly don8217;t have it easy here.