Netball and the Olympic Movement

We know we can't compete against football and rugby but to have more recognition and insight into the sport would be great According to Dyer in 1982, exclusion of netball from the Summer Olympics is part of the historical pattern of the slow growth and gradual acceptance of women's sports.

[5][note 1] At the 2012 Summer Olympics, every country but Nauru did, and both men and women competed in 34 sports.

[2][note 2] Rugby sevens and golf, primarily played by men, were chosen for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Olympics for both sexes ahead of netball.

Sports officials often rationalise this uneven distribution by claiming that there are more opportunities for men to win at the highest level than there are for women.

[5] The importance of being part of the Summer Olympics is illustrated by softball, and the benefits the sport derived from its inclusion.

[14] Olympic recognition plays an important part in getting sponsorship for local competitions around the world and providing new opportunities for female netball players.

It would be brilliant for the girls coming through to get that opportunity to play at the Olympics because it is the sporting pinnacle if you can achieve that goal.

Opinions were initially split inside the newly formed organisation as to whether this was a goal worth striving for, but ultimately it was decided to work towards Olympic recognition.

While name changes and other International Olympic Committee suggestions were agreed upon as necessary to go forward, the integration of these changes into the Federation's constitution and governance strategy took over four years and the application languished as a result until 1979, when the IOC responded with a request for additional information on INF's finances and governance.

Because of Jamaican influence, INF created a specific committee to work on the issue of addressing Olympic requirements, which was composed of New Zealanders Rena Straford, Lorna McOnchie and Anne Taylor.

[20] While the netball was rejected for a third time, the New Zealand hosts of the 1990 Commonwealth Games managed to get the sport to have demonstration status, with the news of this being announced in 1987.

[20] An example of this was a requirement given to the Federation 1992/1993 that the IOC be given technical specs for venue space should the sport be included on the Olympic programme.

[29] The INF has made Olympic recognition part of its long-term strategy towards continuing to grow the game.

[31] At the extraordinary session, the IOC set forth the requirements that a sport must meet before it is eligible for inclusion in the Olympic programme.

[36] With official recognition, funding from the IOC, the Olympic Solidarity Movement and the British Council became available to cover costs for travel to international competitions.

[38] In 1985, the Australian Sports Commission and the Office of the Status of Women identified five criteria for obtaining federal funding.

[39][40] In 1995, two of the scholarships offered by the Oceania Olympic Training Centre were given to netballers: Janaet Snape and Darlene Marsters.

[39] In 2007, the IOC awarded Veitu Apana Diro, the Vice-President of the NOC of Papua New, the Trophy for Oceania.

[27] Instead, according to Jones, the media focus on female athletes in non-team competitions and on team sports played equally by both genders.