Women’s Asian Cup: record crowds mask familiar issues of gender inequality, wealth divide
While attendance figures have been impressive, on the pitch the gap between the continent’s traditional powers and the rest remains stark
Record crowds at the Asian Cup have been hailed by organisers as a watershed for the women’s game but the tournament has thrown up familiar concerns of gender inequality and a stubborn divide between the continent’s rich and emerging nations.
More than two years on from co-hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Australians have again shown their enthusiasm for international football, shattering a series of attendance records for the quadrennial showpiece.
Another bumper crowd in Saturday’s final between Australia and Japan at Sydney’s Stadium Australia will lift the cumulative attendance well above 300,000, more than five times the previous record of 59,910 at the 2010 event in China.
A crowd of 60,279 at Stadium Australia watched Australia’s 3-3 draw against South Korea, the biggest ever for a Women’s Asian Cup match. It also smashed the group-stage record of 50,276 who watched 2015 hosts Australia play Oman in the men’s tournament.
The popularity and success of the hosting Matildas have boosted the figures but Australia’s migrant communities have also turned out to support other visiting teams.
The crowd of 17,367 for Japan’s semi-final win over South Korea was a tournament record for a match involving two non-hosting nations.