AAP Sports News (Australia)

Vol: Women volleyballers angry over TV voyeurism

12-04-2001

MILAN, Italy, Dec 3 AFP - Italy's most famous female volleyball player Maurizia Cacciatori is at the centre of a row over what she considers intrusive TV coverage of her sport and specifically the tendancy of cameramen to focus on her bottom during matches.

Cacciatori, recently voted the ideal sporting pin-up of Italian men, let rip after a TV cameraman was removed from his courtside vantage point during a club game between Jesi and her club side Bergamo at the weekend, reportedly because he was focussing too intently on her rear end.

The Italian international did not mince her words, telling ANSA news agency: "Certainly in Afghanistan women were forced to wear the Burkha (the all-encompassing headgear imposed by the Taliban regime) but we in a different way have to put up with discrimination.

"Now we are used to it but we do no like this continual voyeurism regarding our sport.

Obviously TV is more interested in anatomical factors than technical aspects of the match. It's as if cameramen at a football match were to focus only on the shorts of players.

"Regarding what happened during the match I was not aware what was happening even if I often feel that the TV cameramen are focussing on it (her bottom). I am glad this cameraman has been punished."

Cacciatori's remarks only serve to highlight a situation that is obvious to anyone who has watched a female volleyball match on Italian television.

However, cynics point out that a high advertising premium is placed on the position on the player's backside where a club's sponsorship logo is present, usually on the seat of a skimpy outfit.

TV officials have previously justified their coverage because volleyball players frequently put their hands behind their backsides to signal to the server where the ball should be placed.