Quote: One part struck me - would you ever imagine it was wrong to have a male trainer for a female team. I think people generally look for experience and talent in a trainer, not gender.
I would agree that the "best qualified person for the job" could often be the ideal criterion for a trainer, but my impression of the particular chess case you link to is that the job is NOT as a trainer but as someone promoting the game among women (and girls).
If so, I can well see that eyebrows would be raised in that specific chess case. There is a lot to be said for having a role model as part of the strategy, and so a female might well fit the bill better. Also, in the case of girls, seeking the approval of parents in the process is vital, and I can well imagine that many parents would be chary of a man spending lots of time closeted with their daughters in the light of recent scandals such as the US doctor and the girl gymnasts.
I don't think there is any juicy back-story behind this anyway. Having fruitlessly dealt with some figures in the UK chess world administration as part of the T Mark Hall Foundation, I suspect it boils down to nothing more than that the chess directors don't like spending money. They quite possibly just took the cheapest option.
Incidentally, the boom in Japanese women's go is indeed down to a female role model: pop star/actress Tojima Hana. The fact that she is savvy and energetic and is in this for the long haul all helps as well, of course.
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