Women in Sport calls for leaders to do more for black girls in sport

Charity Women in Sport has called on sport’s leaders to do more for young black girls.

It says they face more barriers to accessing sport than girls from other backgrounds, and many “fall out of love” with sport in their teens.

A new report from the charity says twice as many black girls as white girls dream of becoming elite athletes in the UK – yet black girls are the least likely to take part in sport.

It says 48% of black girls fall out of love with sport in their teens because of issues such as racism, misogyny and inflexible sporting structures.

Tessa Sanderson, who won women’s javelin gold for Great Britain at the 1984 Olympics and is a Women in Sport ambassador, says the research is “truly heartbreaking”.

Sanderson added: “We must build a sporting culture that lifts black girls up, not one that shuts them out.”

The charity wants “urgent action” from sports leaders, coaches and policymakers, including better representation of black women at all levels of their organisations.

Other recommendations include educating paid and voluntary staff about diversity, enforcing anti-racism and anti-misogyny policies, collecting and using data on gender and ethnicity participation, developing more community initiatives and having more flexibility in talent pathways to cater for additional needs of black girls.

“Sports providers need to sit up and listen if they are to do right by black girls and there is little doubt of the benefit to sport from doing so,” said Stephanie Hilborne, chief executive officer of Women in Sport.

The research was supported by British Cycling, British Rowing, England Hockey, England Netball, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Football Association, the Lawn Tennis Association, and the Rugby Football Union.