Athletes’ Participation: Influences of Gender and Types of Sport

Background: The development of athletic participation is related to various factors, ranging from personal interest to geography and socioeconomic factors. In Malaysia, there is community stigma regarding athletic participation and excellence. Thus, investigating the factors influencing athlete participation is necessary. Objective: This study aimed to describe the factors influencing athletes’ participation according to gender and sport type. Methods: The primary data used in this study were obtained from a survey that was developed and distributed to athletes. A total of 437 athletes responded to the survey with four dimensions personal, support, external, and opportunity factors. A descriptive analysis was performed to compare factors influencing participation. Results: The results showed that the influencing factors did not differ between the genders but differed among the types of sport. Support and personal factors were high compared to external and opportunity factors. The ‘team sports’ scored the highest and ‘individuals without direct opponent’ the lowest in all four influencing factor dimensions. Conclusion: Personal and support are crucial factors in athletic development. Also, there is a need to consider further sports-specific investigation of the factors influencing athletes’ participation.