Whilst in day-to-day life men and women live, work, and socialise together, sport has generally remained an activity that segregates its competitors by sex. The main reason for this is that men and women are physically built differently. Men are generally taller, heavier, stronger, and quicker than women which means that competing on an equal basis isn’t really possible in most sports.

Generally, most sports segregate men’s and women’s competitions to ensure the sport is competitive and more enjoyable to both play and watch. However, not all sports completely segregate male and female competition. In some sports, men and women compete together and they do this in two different ways.

The Olympics, which occurs every four years, is one of the world’s greatest sporting events. Inspired by the ancient Olympics in Greece, the modern games began in 1896 and were long known as a bastion for amateurism with professionals being unable to compete in the games. However, during the latter half of the 20th century, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has had to adapt to a number of political and economic advancements and one of these was the growing issue of corporate endorsements and sponsorship which blurred the lines of amateurism and professionalism resulting in the rules being steadily relaxed for almost all sports in the Olympic movement, allowing professionals to compete in all sports, except boxing and wrestling.

For Siddhartha and Stairs, the right to play is every child’s birthright. Sport can affect a child’s development of self-esteem and self-worth, and transform a child’s life.