Worn out

It is obvious that the more people exercise and play sport, the better they will be in terms of both physical and mental health, so why are some out of date and sexist rules stopping them? There are some countries and cultures that expect women to be dressed modestly but this time it was a case of being required to dress less modestly or not play. The player Iqra Ismail, a previous captain of the Somalian team, now a UK player, was told she had to play football in shorts rather than a tracksuit. She chose not to play and missed that game despite having previously worn the tracksuit on many other occasions.

Some sports have prescribed uniform measurements with one of the most restrictive having been women’s beach volleyball although not the male players. The costumes were too small especially when they were going to be in the sand a lot of the time. Fortunately this minimalist restriction was removed for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s time to get more people playing sports and letting them dress in a way they are comfortable with.

Dennis Fitzgerald,

Melbourne, Australia