Women in sports (The story so far)

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(Edited)

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Introduction

This is not a topic you hear about every day. I will talk about various sportswomen and their achievements. Women have come a long way in sports. From the beginning of time, women have not always been able to compete with men, but now they can play any sport they want. The history of women's sports is long and exciting. In ancient Greece, the Olympics did not allow women to participate in events like running or discus throwing for fear that it would make their ovaries fall out and cause infertility. Ancient Greek female athletes who competed publicly were often chastised by society for being "unnatural."

In 1899, a woman named Alice Milliat founded the Union des Sociétés Francaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA), which later became known as the French Federation of Athletics (FFA). The organization promoted women's participation in sports events such as gymnastics and swimming by working with local organizations like YMCA clubs and schools. By 1907 there were over 300 branches across France; however, during World War I, many members were forced into exile due to their German heritage, so they reorganized under new leadership as La Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (FSFI).

History

Although women have been competing in sports since the beginning of time, it wasn't until recently that they were able to compete alongside men. For example, according to "Women in Sports," an educational website maintained by the National Women's History Museum, ancient Greek Olympian Astylos was one of the earliest women to compete with men and win a victory. She won a wrestling match against her male competitors at Olympia in 520 B.C., which is considered one of the first known instances of women competing against men in athletic events (as opposed to other kinds of competitions).

There has been some progress toward gender equality in athletics in more recent history, especially for those who compete at an elite level. However, there are still fewer opportunities for women than for men. This is due mainly because many sports leagues were initially created as male-only organizations and have only recently opened their doors to allow females into their ranks and potential players from other countries around the world where access isn't limited by gender identity or sexual identity orientation. For example: On March 22nd, 1990 - almost 30 years ago - USA Basketball became one such organization when it announced its decision not only to open up its selection process but also to invite female athletes onto its roster once again after four decades away from international competition due primarily financial reasons."

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Football

Women's association football often referred to as women's football or women's soccer is the most prominent team sport played by women worldwide. It is played professionally worldwide and has been represented at the Summer Olympics since 1996. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991 and has occurred every four years since then, except for 2003 and 2019, when it was held in China during those years to not conflict with other major international sporting events (such as the Olympic Games). However, in terms of sponsorship and revenue generation for teams, men's association football remains dominant.

In England, women's football has traditionally been run on amateur lines with little financial reward or recognition; however, since 2007, there have been moves towards professionalism which may make this issue less relevant by 2020 but more so in 2023 following an agreement between The Football Association (F.A.) and Premier League which will see increased investment into grassroots facilities that had previously suffered underfunding due to lack of interest shown by its male counterpart. During her tenure as Home Secretary, Prime Minister Theresa May announced plans to develop a national strategy for tackling violence against women. Including domestic abuse through better education programs aimed at vulnerable young people because they may be excluded from school due to bullying issues or mental health problems such as anxiety disorders, etc.

Also, encouraging them not only into sports clubs but also in careers where they have traditionally been poorly represented, such as engineering firms who recruit heavily from schools whose students come from families where there were few opportunities available outside their local area due to employment opportunities being low because there wasn't enough money being made locally.

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Basketball

Women have been playing basketball since the mid-1800s. Still, it wasn't until the 1970s that women's basketball became a major sport in America. That's when Title IX was passed, and girls were finally allowed to play on boys' teams. Now, there are girls playing basketball all over the world! There are many different levels of competition for women who love this game: from high school to college to professional leagues such as the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association). This league features players like Maya Moore and Candace Parker, who show how amazing these athletes can be!

Cricket

Cricket is a sport that's traditionally been associated with men. Still, in recent years, it has become increasingly popular among women. The number of female cricketers has now overtaken that of male players.
Tonnes of fun facts:

  • The first-ever international women's cricket match was played between England and Australia in 1876.
  • The world cup comes around every four years; next year, we'll get to see some great games!

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Impact of women in sport

Women have a vital role in sports, for example, when women can compete with men. This allows them to get exercise and stay healthy. Another positive aspect is that women can play sports without other people's judgment because sexism will not be an issue anymore. The last benefit is better education on health and fitness, which could help develop their bodies into something more attractive and healthy by playing sports regularly. The essential benefits of women in sports are confidence and empowerment. They can feel good about themselves by playing different games or exercises such as running or swimming at the gym every day after work.

Negative aspects of women in sport.

The negative aspects of women in sports are due to several factors, including physical strain, social influences, and psychological influences. The first is the physical strain. A woman's body is not built for the same performance as a man's body. For example, suppose you look at an Olympic-level athlete competing in swimming or rowing events. In that case, you'll notice that men have much more muscle mass than women. This means their bodies can generate more speed through water or pull on oars with greater force than women athletes. In addition, because male hormones like testosterone help build muscle mass and strength faster than female hormones such as estrogen do, male athletes can put on muscle faster than their female counterparts after training (or even without it).

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Women are now becoming able to compete with men in sports.

Sports have long been a male-dominated field, but today we're seeing more women than ever before competing at the same level as men. The number of female athletes has grown exponentially over the past few decades, and they're proving that they belong in this world of sweat and sore muscles just as much as men do.

In fact, there are now some sports where women can compete against their male counterparts for glory on even footing—that means equal payouts for wins or losses! This is a huge step forward for equality in both athletics and society at large.

Women in sport in Nigeria

Sport is one aspect in nigeria that as received more attention as we all see it as a means to get out of poverty and not really for the passion. Only few people follows their passion and become a sports man or woman but most do it due to the window of opportunity it presents, Being a sport woman in nigeria is quite hard for the ladies than the men due to the sexual harassment the ladies suffers and lack of regard as they are treated unfairly when compared to the female counterparts.

The sports federation of the country will likely apportion a smaller cut of budget for the women in a party sport category when compared to the male counterpart. The ladies in their own right have managed to do well for themselves in most of the sport engaged in. For example, nigeria has gold and silver medalist in the area of track racing and also the Nigerian female football team as concoquered the African continents on multiple occasions. They are the best from this part of the world.

2021 saw a lot of improvement from the Nigeria female basket ball team porpoularly called the Tigeress as they performed well in the olymipic tournament. Women in nigeria are also involved in boxing and weight lifting.

while the growth as been an upward movement, they are still major concerns as inadeuated facilities is still a problem. Sex for sponsorship or sex in order to represent your country is still a thing. coupled with that, some top athletes as been caught for doping and that's a stain on the integrity of the sport sector of the county. Regardless, Nigeria woman remains ever vibrant in sport and continues to expand there reach in different sporting activities available.

Conclusion

I truly believe that sports are meant for everyone, be it a man or woman. They should be given every opportunity to play their chosen game. I respect the women who made their dreams come true despite the biases against them and paved the way for today's female athletes to enjoy equality with men in professional sports worldwide.



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