Same commitment, different appreciation

History shows that women were non-existent in the world of sports for a long time, their entry was not always the easiest due to several restrictions, and they still do not enjoy the same recognition as their male colleagues. In people's minds, women often did not exist in sports because it was denied to them for so long.

"Many were unaware that women had equal opportunities", a statement made during the interviews conducted for this article. When the Olympic Games were introduced in 1896, women were excluded, but this has changed during the last years. Since 2012, the International Olympic Committee has stipulated that every participating country must have at least one woman on its team. The 2012 Games were described as a milestone in gender equality, as for the first time the proportion of women participating rose to 44.2 per cent, 4,675 female athletes out of a total of 10,567 participants in London. Women were represented in all sports. The proportion of female athletes has increased slowly but constantly in recent years.

There was very much progress to be seen across the industry. However, there is still much room for improvement, says Charlie Bidinger. The 26-year-old has been playing basketball for 19 years and currently plays for the Musel Pikes and the national team. Of course, men are good at basketball, but women are at least as good.