‘This is women in sport’: East Bengal FC joins backlash against Sydney Sweeney’s Novig ad

East Bengal FC has joined the growing conversation around actor Sydney Sweeney’s controversial advertisement for sports prediction platform Novig, using its women’s team to make a pointed statement about the representation of women in sport.

The Kolkata-based football club took to social media and shared images highlighting its women footballers in action.

The post appeared to offer a subtle counterpoint to Sweeney’s Novig campaign, which has faced criticism from athletes and sports fans over its portrayal of women and sport.

Sweeney’s advertisement, released earlier this month, features the actor in minimal clothing while using footballs, basketballs, tennis equipment and other sporting props to promote Novig’s sports-focused prediction market.

The campaign quickly went viral, but also triggered backlash from several prominent female athletes.

Four-time Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus criticised the campaign, arguing that it sexualised women’s sport and undermined the work of female athletes.

British sprinter Amy Hunt also responded to the controversy by highlighting the physical effort, training and sacrifice involved in elite sport.

The backlash has also inspired athletes across different sports to share images and videos of themselves competing and training, accompanied by messages emphasising what women in sport actually look like.

American gymnast Gracie Kramer was among those who helped drive the response with the phrase “this is what a woman in sport looks like”.

Against that backdrop, East Bengal FC’s decision to spotlight its women players has been interpreted as a response to the wider debate.

Rather than focusing on glamour or advertising imagery, the club’s post puts its female footballers and their participation on the field at the centre of the conversation.

The Novig campaign has also drawn attention because Sweeney’s involvement goes beyond being the face of the advertisement. Novig announced that she had joined the company as a strategic partner and equity holder.

While the campaign has generated substantial attention for Novig, the controversy has opened a broader discussion about how women and women’s sport are represented in advertising, particularly at a time when women’s professional sport is gaining greater visibility globally.