Football player responds after commentator’s ‘sexist’ remark during Women’s World Cup-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro

An Australian football player has defended a commentator who was slammed for a remark he made about her during a Women’s World Cup game.

Last week the tournament kicked off in host countries Australia and New Zealand.

In their opening match of the event, Australia took on Ireland and managed to secure a win, however a comment made by Channel Seven’s David Basheer also generated plenty of attention.

After the game-winning goal was scored, the journalist jumped in with an observation about midfielder Katrina Gorry, suggesting that ‘motherhood had not blunted her competitive instincts’.

While many people slammed what he said, the football player has now come to the defence of Basheer.

On Monday Gorry was asked about the comment, however said that she didn’t take it to heart and that the commentator may have been misunderstood.

Australian football player Katrina Gorry has shared her thoughts on comments made about her during a game (Picture: EPA)

‘I’ve heard about it – I don’t take things like that too personally,’ she said during a press conference.

‘I don’t really look at things like that, but I can see how it got taken the wrong way.

‘I’m sure he didn’t mean it in a negative way.’

She added: ‘Sometimes things just come out in the wrong way, but it is what it is.’

However, during the coverage of the game, many people slammed the remark.

Commentator David Basheer was slammed by some for saying motherhood had not ‘blunted Katrina’s competitive instincts’ (Picture: David Basheer/ Twitter)

‘Can the male commentating the Matilda’s Ireland game please refrain from suggesting it’s great a player’s competitive instinct hasn’t changed since she had a child?’ writer Dr. Victoria Fielding posted on Twitter.

‘Why on earth would a woman’s sporting drive change through childbirth? You wouldn’t say it to a father playing sport,’ she added.

While Basheer’s comments did draw the ire of many, others suggested he’d simply been caught up in a bad choice of words.

Australia won their first game of the tournament last week (Picture: Stephanie Meek – CameraSport via Getty Images)

‘David Basheer who has spent years of his career advocating for and promoting women’s football making a clunky comment of praise,’ one person shared on social media.

Gorry, 30, gave birth to her daughter Harper in 2021 after undergoing IVF treatment.

After taking some time off, she returned to the Australian squad in April last year.

This week she shared she’d been able to continue playing at the top level thanks to her mother assisting with the parenting duties with Harper inside the Matildas camp.

‘It’s been amazing I obviously didn’t really know how it was going to work when I first had her but somehow mum changed her whole schedule to be in camp with us and to make sure she’s there to take care of her whenever I need,’ she said.

Australia will next take on Nigeria on Thursday.

The Women’s World Cup is available to watch on BBC and ITV.

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