Which aspect is crucial for sports to maintain their integrity?

Maintaining integrity in sports is fundamentally linked to increasing participation opportunities. This aspect is critical because a broader participation base ensures that sports are accessible to diverse groups, which fosters fairness, transparency, and inclusivity. When more individuals can engage in sports, it diminishes the potential for corruption and unethical behavior, as the focus shifts to competence and enjoyment rather than exclusivity or elitism.

A diverse participant pool encourages a spirit of sportsmanship and community, which are essential for trust among athletes, fans, and officials. Moreover, by promoting inclusivity, the legitimacy of competitions is strengthened, as everyone has a chance to compete and contribute to the sport's overall integrity.

On the other hand, exclusive practices, overly simplified rules, or reducing competition could undermine the spirit of the sport and detract from its foundational principles, leading to questions about fairness and equity.