Tokyo 2020: Team GB’s early Olympic win against Chile could boost interest in grassroots women’s football

Team GB’s early win against Chile in the Olympic women’s football tournament could boost interest at grassroots level, sporting bodies have said.

The team beat Chile 2-0 in their first match of the tournament, held in an empty stadium, two days prior to the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

This Girl Can, a Sport England campaign to encourage women into sport, said that watching the success of the Team GB women could “help in closing the gender activity gap”.

“A number of things play a role in someone to taking up an activity and sticking with it – environment, confidence, opportunity and cost. The visibility of women’s sport is one too,” said Kate Dale, head of This Girl Can.   

“Prior to the pandemic, events like the Women’s Football World Cup and the Netball World Cup showed that the increased visibility that major events bring can help in closing the gender activity gap.”

“Led by the Team GB women’s football team’s victory today, the thousands of inspiring women competing in the Olympics and Paralympics over the summer will show the nation that sport is as much for women as it is for men.” 

Stephanie Hilborne, CEO of Women in Sport, celebrated the win, saying: “Let the games begin!”

“These are moments that will inspire girls,” she said. Ms Hilborne said the win was “particularly brilliant” because there was still a “dreaming deficit” for girls in their sporting ambitions; Women in Sport found last year that half as many girls than boys dream about reaching the top of sport.

“Sport transforms lives, it builds resilience, courage and leadership,” Ms Hilborne said.

“We know from the 2016 GB Women’s Hockey win and the 2019 England Women’s Football success showed that visibility is so vital for seeing the opportunities. Let’s join this up with more investment at the grassroots, in school sport and in girls team sport in particular, to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part in sport and inspire her to do so.”

The England women reached the last four in the 2019 World Cup.

from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3hRHfxQ