The province of Malaga sets precedents in the realm of female sports

Times have changed for the better. Gone are the days of ridiculing women and girls for kicking a ball, or looking at them differently because they're wearing leggings or shorts. No one is standing in the way of them achieving their dreams of becoming athletes nor is their freedom limited by staying at home instead of being on a pitch, a court or in a swimming pool.

If equality is now as close as it's ever been, it isn't by chance, but because of the existence of outstanding female role models who have worked their way to the top. Through their efforts and with their achievements, they've cleared the path for new generations. They are fighting women who have made history and who have made it easier to get the ball rolling.

This implies a mentality change by institutions to increase female sports funding through specialised programmes, more economic backing by an increasing number of companies and the roles of women themselves. Women also set precedents, they are featured on front pages of newspapers and magazines, they fill stadiums, they gather people around the television to watch them and they have thousands of followers on social media. Change, fortunately, has come to stay.

Malaga has a wide range of examples when it comes to successful female representation in sport and their fight to get to the top.

Costa del Sol Malaga are currently rewriting the history books of women's provincial and regional handball by winning three titles and with the possibility of adding more silverware to their trophy cabinet this season. They also have three key players in the national team and boast a squad of contracted handballers who are able to play for one of the country's top teams. All while under the leadership of club president Pepa Moreno.

But handball isn't the only sport where Malaga has national representation. Futsal team Atlético Torcal play in the Spanish first division with a squad made up of almost entirely local talent. The team are already setting precedents by attracting a good amount of spectators to their games, as well as growing their academy every year.

Women's basketball is also seeing court-side stands full to the brim. Alongside CAB Estepona, who play in the second-highest professional league in Spain, other teams such as Unicaja or Asisa Alhaurín also attract good crowds.

The same can be said for Malaga CF women's football team, who have stormed their way to winning the league in the country's third tier, despite a modest budget. Their spectacular form convinced Malaga to open La Rosaleda to host two of the women's Copa de la Reina games for the first time in the club's history.

On an individual level, Malaga's women are also excelling. María Torres (Malaga) became the first Spaniard to take the world title in kumite (karate's sparring discip line), an achievement that garnered her unprecedented media attention in Spain and shone the spotlight on her sport.

Paula Ruiz,(Malaga) who took gold at the World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in 2018, became the first Andalusian Olympian in open-water swimming, finishing 16th at the 10km event at the Tokyo Olympics. Similarly, Azahara Muñoz (San Pedro de Álcantara) also became an Olympian at the 2016 Games in Rio when she was part of the Spanish golf team.

On a continental scale, it's hard to ignore the achievements of European champions like Natalia Baldizzone (Fuengirola), who won the solo dance skating championship last year; or cyclist Natalia Fischer's (Estepona) gold medal for the cross-country marathon at the 2021 European Mountain Bike Championships.

One thing is clear: the present and the future of sport in Malaga will be ruled by women.