Often sports is a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist. For example, Jackie Robinson began the integration of major league baseball. That milestone in American athletics was an indication of the changing attitudes in the country.
In Egypt, the cultural attitudes are reflected in sports such as women’s rugby:
“… the team also faced issues when it came to getting permission for the women to travel without their families. “There were a lot of girls at the tryouts but our selection [pool] got smaller and smaller because of the family restrictions,” explained Uprichard. “Some families wouldn’t let their girls travel because of the swine flu, while others wouldn’t let them travel because they’d be travelling without a chaperone.”
Despite the obstacles, both coaches are united in the belief that all the girls they met at tryouts were dedicated to the sport, which gives them hope for the future of the game in Egypt.”
link to the article by Passant Rabie
[Photo by Tim Smith/Getty Images]
