Understanding and challenging discrimination in sports

Sports harbors a long, unsettling, and troubling history with discrimination. Sports and discrimination are intertwined, despite perceptions of sports being inherently meritocratic. Often, we hear that athlete success is based on talent, hard work, and dedication. Those who ‘make it’ are there because they deserve it; those who do not, however, are perceived responsible for their own failures. This is a worrying position and one that subscribes to living in a post-racial or post-sexist world. Sport is no different or special – the systemic obstacles that exist in wider society, found in housing, education, healthcare, and the media, are equally rooted in the global sporting infrastructure. Therefore, it is crucial that we not only attempt to critically understand discrimination in sports but also consider and present ways to challenge it. This new Sport and Discrimination section is perfectly poised to provide a platform whereby world-leading research can be gathered, a network can blossom, and recommendations or attempts to challenge inequity and injustice in the context of sports can be highlighted and promoted.