Women's sport: Suggestions coronavirus will halt progress 'disappointing', says Commonwealth boxing champion Stacey Copeland

Comments that women's sport could go backwards during the pandemic are "upsetting and disappointing", says Commonwealth boxing champion Stacey Copeland.

Many, including ex-England footballer Alex Scott, have voiced concerns that coronavirus could halt progress.

Several women's sports events have been cancelled when the men's equivalents have not.

"I've been quite disappointed with the overall narrative," Copeland said.

"This expectation and acceptance that we're destined for women's sport to completely disappear in some cases or at least suffer greatly.

"I think it's even more upsetting and disappointing when you think of the incredible progress that's been made in recent years.

"The danger is that the more you say something, the more it becomes true and people just accept it."

In football, the Premier League returned on Wednesday, but Chelsea were named WSL champions on 5 June after the league was curtailed.

In rugby union, the men's Premiership is hoping to return in mid-August, long after the women's Premier 15s season was declared null and void.

England's male cricketers will host West Indies in a three-Test series beginning on 8 July, while England's women are not set to play until 1 September at the earliest.

But Copeland, one of the athletes on the Women's Sport Trust's Unlocked campaign, believes the ability of women's sport to progress during the pandemic is being underestimated.

"Women are used to overcoming barriers," she added.

"We have to be careful about that narrative and dooming women's sport when there's loads to be positive about.

"We've had many barriers to overcome at different times. Human beings are pretty incredible at adapting to change and women's sport is brilliant at that."