Netball Australia desires the game to be placed on the world stage on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Video games.
Key factors:
- Netball is performed by over 20 million individuals throughout greater than 80 international locations
- Netball Australia’s CEO says followers should see their sport on the Olympic stage
- Sydney received its bid to host the 2027 Netball World Cup, the place 16 nationwide groups will battle for the world championship
Netball has been a Commonwealth Video games sport since 1998, with the Diamonds — presently ranked no 1 on the planet — among the many nation’s most profitable sporting groups.
Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan mentioned with greater than 20 million contributors throughout greater than 80 international locations, the sport deserved to be performed below the 5 well-known rings.
“We would like our netball followers, who’re the proudest and most passionate supporters, to cheer on their favorite athletes as they compete within the inexperienced and gold with the entire world watching on.”
“In such a difficult time, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Video games have introduced a lot pleasure to households proper throughout Australia,” Ryan added.
“I, like many individuals within the netball neighborhood, have watched in awe of our Australian athletes who’ve represented our nation with delight, humility and willpower.
“We congratulate them for his or her unimaginable achievements and want our Paralympians the very best of luck as they compete in two weeks’ time.”
Push for extra males and boys to play
Ryan acknowledged that the game would have challenges pushing its case, given it’s a sport predominately performed by girls and the Worldwide Olympic Committee has made nice strides lately to advance gender equality.
“We’re already actually lucky that we’ve got a very sturdy contingent of males and boys already taking part in the sport, so I feel that is an incredible alternative for us to really wrap our arms round that participation base and ensure they really feel included in netball extra holistically,” Ryan mentioned.
“Whether or not it is for the Olympics or not for the Olympics, it’s one thing that’s firmly in our sights to do anyway. We would like boys to return by way of and really feel like [they have] received a chance to play netball similar to their moms and sisters.
“In 10 years’ time, I might wish to assume we will probably be much more progressed at higher together with males and boys in our sport.”
Ryan couldn’t affirm whether or not that meant Netball Australia could be aiming to have each a males’s and girls’s crew on the Olympics, however mentioned it was an space they had been trying to develop over the subsequent decade.
“We’d naturally assume that that’s in all probability going to be a giant a part of the dialog, as a result of it’s the approach the Olympics has been progressing — to get that gender fairness in all sports activities,” she mentioned.
“They’re nonetheless not 100 per cent there, as a result of they nonetheless have sports activities which might be extra oriented to at least one gender versus the opposite at this level of time.
“However our expectation is that by the point 2032 comes round gender fairness will probably be a very sturdy a part of the dialog.
“Naturally, whereas we’re actually comfortable to proceed our conversations about being progressive in that vein, we in the end need the game to be accommodating and welcome to all.”
Aussie Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich mentioned she was excited by the potential of Olympic netball.
“It is an unimaginable alternative,” she mentioned.
“Being in lockdown, all we have finished is play netball or watch the Olympics.
“For me it is thrilling, since you’re on the world stage.
“However it’s also the hidden tales that come to life across the Olympic Video games that make it so important — the strife, the struggles.
Sydney will host the 16-team Netball World Cup in 2027.
World Netball president Liz Nicholl mentioned the governing physique backed the Olympic push.
“All our Member Nations are excited on the potential of being a part of the Olympic Household in 2032,” she mentioned in assertion.
“We’re dedicated to exploring the potential with Netball Australia and guaranteeing that our case for inclusion provides important worth to this very particular Olympic motion.”