Brussels, 31/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - For the very first time in the history of the Olympic Games, all of the 204 countries taking part have selected women athletes in their teams for the London games, which will continue until 12 August. At the last games in Beijing four years ago, three countries, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Sultanate of Brunei, entered teams with no women. Also for the first time, in 2012, women will compete in all disciplines. The 2012 games, then, have set a standard in gender equality, a standard that two European commissioners have not been slow to hail. Viviane Reding, who is in charge of Justice, and Androulla Vassiliou, who is responsible for Sports, have hailed this “important milestone in the long struggle for real gender balance between women and men in sport”. They addressed this message to the Presidents of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Jacques Rogge and Philip Craven, arguing that more needs to be done to achieve an “acceptable” level of representation of women in sport and sports governing bodies. The two commissioners are considering a roadmap on gender equality in sport, with objectives for governmental and non-governmental organisations to be achieved by 2020. The EU Sport Forum will discuss this idea as part of its agenda for good governance in sport in Nicosia on 19-20 September. (MD/transl.rt)