The paradox of women in sport in Singapore

A pertinent issue in sport is that of gender with the notion that sport is a male preserve and women’s identity in it as contested ideological terrain. Women endeavours in sport have risen yet still pose its challenge with society’s contrasting views and doubts on them. Singapore, with its continual efforts for a sporting culture has seen an overall increase in sport participation rate and international sporting successes. Gender comparison ironically shows fewer women sport participation but their greater delivery on the international sporting stage for the country then the men. The purpose of this study was to look at the factors that combine to create this paradoxical image in Singapore. 2 focus groups were conducted among young adults (n=15), men and women aged 20 to 39 years old and participated in sport/physical exercise in the last 3 months. Conducted over a span of 1 week in a meeting room facility, sessions lasted for an hour and were video recorded. The lag of women sport participation to that of men saw personal, social, structural and environmental constraints outweighing their sporting motivators. Explanation for women athletes’ superiority over men encompassed role of sporting fraternities and priorities, nature of the sport, media and publicity and luck. Constraints might have deter women’s general sporting involvement, but at a professional level of sport, fulfilment of political and economic priorities for a country’s success and development supersede all else thus the paradox. Keywords: Women, sport participation, sport success, paradox, SingaporeBachelor of Science (Sport Science and Management