Our sport is one of the few on the winter side that is so diverse. It shows we don't have to be limited by race or gender or whatever and how far we have come as a sport.
There has been a positive change with people being aware about women's cricket of late. It's still far from what it needs to be, but women are slowly getting the right recognition for this game.
The men I've played are all respectful and gentlemen towards me. I've never really had a problem. In the past a lot of people would go: 'We're playing a woman.' But now they're thinking: 'We're playing a good player.'
I fight for the women. I try to do my best inside the Octagon to fight like a man; then, people will respect girls in the Octagon.
It's all well and good having a women's Tour de France - which I think we need and I think we should have. But I think we should slowly build it in and not just go 'Bam!' with three weeks over the same course and same length of time as the men's.
Sports is the common denominator in the world that brings everyone together. If there's any one place in the world where there is equality, it is probably sports. That was something that didn't always exist. We've come a long way in sports. Why can't society use sports as a way to bring people together and create change?
In the sport itself it's fine, but online I have had constant sexist comments saying women are not as good as men.
It is important for big names such as Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri to get on board and recognise that women do actually understand the game and they can play as well.
I'm no different than any other expendable player.
Women are the same. We watch football; we play football. Why wouldn't we be out there giving our opinions on the sport, too?
The stance I took was there is no room for racial bias anywhere in sports. I believe that was basically all I said about it. Certainly I was cast as an abolitionist. Death threats came. Hate mail came.
You know, I think more people should watch women's basketball. It'd do so much for the game.
Football is the only sport where you put people together, it doesn't matter if you are rich, or poor, or black, or white. It is one nation. This is the beauty of football.
We used to look at each other and say, 'We play the same game with the same rules, the same bat, the same ball, the same field. What the hell does color have to do with it? You don't play with color. You play with talent.'
Sports was a great equalizer. It didn't have color. It didn't matter whether you were rich or poor, black or white. It really shaped me in many ways to be able to deal with a lot of different personalities and different cultures. Sports were the common thread.
After seeing kids play polo against big guys, it only shows that horses are the greatest equalizer in the world. No matter what you weigh, the little fellow is your equal on a horse.
Cricket is not gender biased. It isn't that men's cricket is different and women's a different one.
Just having the support from the male players is important as the women's game moves forward.
I've proved I'm in love with the women's game, and I think the quality is unbelievable.
But yet I don't think I should be labeled just a black quarterback, because it's bigger things in this sport that need to be accomplished.
Whenever people say 'women's soccer,' I want to correct them to say 'soccer.' Every girl has had their sport diminished because they're girls.
Growing up, I looked up to major league baseball players, and now these young women have amazing, incredible women all across the board, from swimming to gymnastics to softball to basketball.
Things that used to be a glass ceiling aren't anymore. Now not only is it a possibility that women are going to main event WrestleMania, I know that they are going to do it.
I don't mind the sparkle - I think it's kind of a tradition in skating. I don't think the men really need sparkles, but for the women it's part of the glamour of our sport.
Changing the dialogue and behaviors around race and equality in sports starts with removing barriers and creating opportunities.
