Factors affecting sports participation among female students at Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa

The primary aim of this study was to examine factors affecting sport participation among resident and non- resident female students at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Pretoria, South Africa. The studytargeted all students participating in 12 registered sports but due to the fact that only a limited number of the total populat ion of students engage in competitive sport, a sample of 148 participants completed the questionnaires. The non-part icipants included 259 students who volunteered to provide information for the study. Both categories of students completed structured questionnaires. Many of the participants(52%) indicated that their main motivation for engaging in sports was the possibi lity of receiving student bursary. Sixteen percent (16%) weremotivated by the belief that the university will give them free sport equipment, while 13% of the participants indicated that they were encouraged to take part in sport because of the possibility that theirclub membership will be subsidized. Thirty-nine percent of non-resident students also acknowledged the importance of sport bursaries as an incentive. Some of the non-participants (13%) indicated that they would engage in sport in future if they were provided wi th sporting equipment. The non- participants (26%) stated that expensive club membership was a major deterrent to involvement in universi ty sport. The resul ts have practical implications for effective promotion and managementof sport in universities. In developing st rategies aimed at promoting sport part icipat ion among female universi ty students, bursary awards, free equipment provision, membership fee subsidization and freeaccommodation, should be emphasized in conjunct ion with other incentives