Released last year, Game On not only looks at the recent growth of women's sport but also explores some of the barriers that are holding back progress, from the funding and investment that is still lacking in women's sport to the high dropout rates of school-aged girls compared to boys. Directed by Sue Anstiss, founder of Fearless Women, an organisation that aims to drive positive change for women's sport, the documentary was inspired by Anstiss's book of the same name. Leading figures from sport feature, including sports presenter and former track and field athlete Denise Lewis; former Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson; retired boxer and former footballer Stacey Copeland; and sports broadcaster Clare Balding, to name a few. 

See also: How Asia's women's cricket teams are rising up through the ranks, breaking barriers and changing the game

This three-episode limited documentary series charts Naomi Osaka's journey in professional tennis at a pivotal moment in her career—the period following her victory against Serena Williams at the 2018 US Open. What followed was immense pressure to perform accompanied by sudden fame and struggles with identity. She would later lose her close mentor, basketball legend Kobe Bryant, which had a profound impact on her mental health. The documentary shows how she channeled these experiences into activism and now balances her tennis career with her social justice efforts.

See also: Meet Alizé Lim, the French-Vietnamese tennis player, who competed against Serena Williams and compares tennis to acting

This is the remarkable story of how a group of Japanese factory workers became an unbeatable women's volleyball team. Known as the "Oriental Witches" for their verging-on-supernatural skills on the court, the documentary combines archival footage and interviews with surviving members of the team as it charts the women's journey from the intense training they underwent to representing their country and winning gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

See also: How the Olympics is keeping the spirit of peaceful competition alive

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was first established in 1950. This fascinating documentary showcases its history through the lens of the 13 original members, featuring archival footage and interviews with the surviving founders, highlighting their significant achievements and legacy, both individually and together, in this male-dominated sport.

See also: Being a female in male-dominated sports: 3 women on what they love about it

Thulasi was born outside the caste system. Light Fly, Fly High is the story of how she attempts to box her way out of poverty. Not only is she fighting to win, but for independence, a better life and to escape traditional societal expectations such as marriage so she can forge her own path in a society where opportunities are often determined by social status.

See also: Getting to know Filipino Olympian boxer Nesthy Petecio

This Oscar-winning short documentary tells a story that was largely unknown until the film came out in 2021. The Queen of Basketball spotlights women's basketball player Lusia Harris, who not only scored the first basket in women's Olympic history, but was also the first and only woman officially drafted into the NBA.

See also: The true story of the Malaysian women’s national basketball team that inspired Faisal Ishak’s film ‘Padu’

Power Meri charts the journey of Papua New Guinea's first national women's rugby team, the Orchids, as they head to the 2017 World Cup in Australia. Overcoming their opponents is not the only challenge they face. They must tackle sexism and gender discrimination, a lack of funding and resources, and face national prejudices and societal expectations. The film takes viewers through trials, training and a range of diverse personal struggles as the women face the pressures of competing on an international stage for the first time, in the process paving the way not only for future generations of female athletes in Papua New Guinea, but challenging perceptions of women and their place in society. 

See also: 5 inspiring Hong Kong athletes and industry professionals share their goals, challenges and hopes for the future of the local sports scene

Not to be confused with the 2017 comedy-drama Battle of the Sexes starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell, which is based on the same 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, this 2013 documentary presents the events that led up to that famous game, which drew an audience of approximately 90 million viewers, reflecting the significance of the match. The film showcases how the match came about, featuring extensive interview footage with Riggs, who boasted that he could beat any of the leading female tennis players of the time and prove that men were 'naturally' superior to women. King, on the other hand, exhibits a quiet determination to shut Riggs up and prove the strength of women's tennis as part of her fight for equal rights and recognition for women in sport. While the film focuses on the build up to the match, it also emphasises its significance far beyond sport. 

See also: The history of Wimbledon, from 1877 to present

"You're really good for a girl." It was a line that Australian surfer Jodie Cooper heard often, and hated. But before she turned professional, she had never seen another female surfer. In the 1980s and 1990s, women faced an uphill battle in the male-dominated and misogyny-rife world of professional surfing. Girls Can't Surf tells the untold story of some of the sport's pioneers, including Cooper and fellow Australians Pauline Menczer and Layne Beachley, as they battled sexism and fought for recognition, sponsorship and equal pay. The archival footage is exhilarating, while the interviews with the former surf stars eye-opening, as the film charts their personal stories and how they transformed surf culture forever.

See also: Asian female surfers fighting against sexism, body shaming and imperialism within their sport

It's not often that you see a woman standing in the dohyo or sumo ring. The ancient sport was traditionally only for men. But 20-year-old Hiyori Kon wanted to change that. Little Miss Sumo tells the story of one of very few female sumo wrestlers and the obstacles she encounters both inside and outside the dohyo, from being banned from professional competition to challenging Japanese gender roles and ingrained sexism.

See also: How Malaysia's first female pro wrestler is rising above the competition

Squash legend and founder of the Nicol David Organisation, Datuk Nicol David, last year launched her Little Legends docuseries. Across five episodes, it highlights David's own story from her childhood in Penang to becoming one of the greatest female squash players, as well as showcasing behind the scenes of the Nicol David Organisation's Little Legends programme, which offers after-school squash training and English tutoring to children from low- and mid-income families.

See also: Nicol David launches the ‘Ibu Legends’ programme to empower mothers of aspiring athletes

This documentary may be just 12 minutes long, but its atmospheric cinematography beautifully captures the tradition of the haenyeo or 'women of the sea'—the women free-divers of South Korea's Jeju Island who, for centuries, have dived deep into the coastal waters to collect seafood. This documentary focuses on one 82-year-old diver who has been free-diving for almost 70 years, following in the footsteps of her mother before her.

See also: The woman and the sea: female free divers take conservation to new depths

This Oscar- and BAFTA-winning documentary short is about Skateistan, a non-profit organisation in Kabul, Afghanistan that was founded in 2007 as a skate school for girls to learn how to read, write and skateboard. It highlights the challenges faced by women in Afghanistan and how education and sports can empower girls, offering them new opportunities and hope for a brighter future.

See also: How skating culture is ramping up in Asia, thanks to female skaters like Funa Nakayama

We Dare to Dream spotlights a handful of athletes from the Refugee Olympics Team that competed at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Made by London-based Syrian filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab, who is known for her Oscar-nominated film For Sama, the female athletes featured include track and field athlete Anjelina Lohalith, who fled civil war in Sudan as a child, and exiled taekwondo practitioner Kimia Alizadeh, who defected from Iran. Their stories, and those of the other athletes featured, showcase the resilience and perseverance of these refugees as well as the power of sport to provide hope, but also highlight the broader refugee crisis, one that Al-Kateab herself is no stranger to.

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