Around 7 in 10 youngsters in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation consider it too expensive to practice sports. The following data has been revealed via recent analysis by the Youth Forum on access to sports activities.
In addition to the financial aspect, young people are complaining about the lack of sports infrastructure, socio-cultural discrimination and lack of time and motivation. This analysis also proposes solutions to reduce inequalities in this area.
Various obstacles hinder the practice of sport among young people, which is essential for mental and physical balance. Some say they lack the time and motivation to engage in a sports activity and 70% of them believe that it is too expensive, according to the latest Youth Forum report.
This opinion also mentions other obstacles such as the lack of available sports infrastructure and their difficulty of access by means of soft mobility.
For a third of respondents, disability also hinders access to sports. 30% of them also denounce sexist, racist, homophobic or social discrimination. Examples suggest that young people from disadvantaged urban areas are less likely to be accepted on golf, tennis or hockey courses than those from suburban, more affluent areas.
To encourage the practice of sport, the 1,123 young people interviewed propose solutions including sports vouchers, the promotion of sport via school and the media, the implementation of measures to combat discrimination and the encouragement of soft mobility to make travel easier.
Other proposals include making school sports halls in Brussels accessible to sports associations at a low price, a practice that is already in operation in Flanders.
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