Islam encourages building up an integrated personality and stresses sports such as swimming, archery and horse-riding, encouraging both men and women to engage in physical activity in order to maintain healthy lifestyles. The practice and understanding of Islam are affected by national, cultural and ethnic factors. Due to religious misinterpretations or simply a lack of awareness, many Muslim women have been prevented from participating in sports. These contribute to Muslim women’s lower participation rate. Other factors which contribute to this are the lack of single sex provisions which can put young women off sport and physical activity. This may also include early negative experiences of P.E. at school. The negative perceptions about physical activity can last into adulthood, making it more difficult for these women to engage in sport. Therefore, cultural and environmental barriers seem to be the determining factor in young Muslim women’s attitudes towards participation in sport.
One major factor affecting participation in sport for ethnic minorities is racism. This stems from prejudice linked with the power of one racial group over another. This leads to discrimination, or unfairness. Although illegal, discrimination still exists on the grounds of colour, language and cultural differences. The Professional Football Association (PFA) set up a campaign in 1993 with the Commission for Racial Equality to ‘Kick Racism out of Football’. This now operates independently and is called ‘Kick it out’. The sports council and National Governing Bodies encourage non-discriminatory attitudes to fight racism. Personal racism is seen when black and ethnic minority people are made to feel unwelcome by individuals at a sports club. This obviously puts people of joining clubs and ads to the lower participation rates.
Socioeconomic barriers are also lowering participation rates amongst ethnic minorities. These include employment, pay and social class. In this country, people from the Black and ethnic minorities are over-represented amongst the unemployed and the poorly paid. One result of this is that Black and ethnic minority people often have less money to spend on sport and other leisure activities.
What is Being Done?
In 1993 the sports council published a policy and objectives which still apply. Their aim is to work towards the elimination of racial disadvantage and discrimination in order to achieve better quality sport for Black and ethnic minority people. Their six main objectives include: raising awareness of racial inequality in sport, increase the number of Black and ethnic minority decision makers in sport, improve skill and develop a positive attitude to an active life for young Black and ethnic minority people and to increase opportunities for them.
Stereotypical thinking can be challenged through racial-awareness training and also opportunities can be provided for different cultural groups to pursue their own cultural activities. Therefore meaning that instead of encouraging ethnic minority groups to take part in our sports, why not give them the chance to play their own sports over here. An example of this is Kabbadi, a team sport originally from the Indian subcontinent. It is popular throughout South Asia, and has also spread to Southeast Asia, Japan and Iran. It a popular game in Pakistan,Bangladesh, and the state game of Maharashtra, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh in India. It is even played by the British Army, seen by them as both a fun and an excellent way to keep fit.
In order to increase the participation of ethnic minority groups in sport, certain barriers will have to be broken. One of these barriers is racism. There are many campaigns trying to get rid of racism in sport, one of the most popular of these being the ‘Stand up, Speak up’ campaign. ‘Stand Up, Speak Up’ is Nike’s campaign to empower football fans to show their opposition to racism. The symbol of the campaign is the black & white interlocking wristband, as worn first in public by Thierry Henry at the World Player of the Year gala in Zurich in December 2004. The wristband was created as a symbol of camaraderie with the players and fans who share a determination to take positive action against racism in football. The campaign had support from Nike’s sponsored players, including Thierry Henry, Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldhino, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Claude Makalele, Philip Mexes, Carlos Puyol, Roberto Carlos, Christoph Metzelder, Otto Addo, Adriano and Fabio Cannavaro. Nike launched high profile TV advertising to support the campaign. Additionally, some National teams who wear Nike kit wore specially designed shirts during the campaign. Also another campaign aiming to kick racism out of football is the Kick it Out) campaign. Kick It Out works throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge racism and work for positive change. The campaign is supported and funded by the game’s governing bodies, including founding body the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), the FA Premier League, the Football Foundation and The Football Association. With campaigns like these being promoted by the sports biggest role models like Thierry Henry, this has an extremely positive effect. The children and adults playing the sport believe if Ronaldhino and Rio Ferdinand are opposed to racism, then so should I.
