The Lionesses show girls it's okay to enjoy sport... let's all cheer them on this Saturday

Back in 2022, Chloe Kelly's sports bra celebration after scoring the winner in the Women's Euros final was hailed as a lesson in liberation by Vogue magazine. This time round, their first match of the tournament will be broadcast live on ITV when they play France on Saturday.

It is expected to attract the size of audience marketing moguls normally only dream about. Make no mistake: women's football is a commercial success but it's also much more than that - the Lionesses demonstrate young women can succeed at the highest levels. This is good news for many reasons, not least for encouraging girls to take up sport. When people my age were growing up, we were typically outside bouncing balls, running around or playing tennis but sadly that's not typical today. Less than half of children manage the 60 minutes-a-day of physical activity recommended.

This has led to health concerns, with one in five children in England now either overweight or obese by the age of five. Causes include the use of digital screens during leisure time and fewer hours devoted to PE and playtime in schools. The problem is particularly acute among girls. By age seven girls are already less active than boys and the gap increases in their teens, according to the Youth Sport Trust. Girls experience more barriers to participation with the biggest drop-off during the move to secondary school.

The good news is that research shows that, when they are engaged and inspired, girls love to be physically active and to play sport just as much as boys. Not only does this bring benefits for the youngsters' physical and mental health but also boosts self-esteem. So the success of the Lionesses is making a real difference to participation in sport at grassroots level. The number of female football teams across England has more than doubled in recent years. The largest increases came when around 1,500 new teams were registered after the Lionesses won Euro 2022.

But women's football is growing exponentially and is now estimated to be in the top-five most attended sports in the UK (behind men's football, rugby union, cricket and horse racing). Arsenal's women's team, who recently won the Champions League, now routinely attract crowds well in excess of 30,000 for major games at the Emirates Stadium in North London. At Frasers Group, as owners of Sports Direct, we regard women's sport as an area of strategic importance and a key pillar within our retail strategy.

We recognise the purchasing power of women as consumers and we are committed to including more women in our advertising and marketing campaigns. This has included previously partnering with stars like England squad members Lucy Bronze, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo. Leading brands across the sector are increasingly investing in women's sporting categories.

They recognise not only the soaring popularity and commercial potential of women's sport but also the immense influence of women, who often make purchasing decisions for their households. This is why brands are increasingly sponsoring female sports teams and tournaments - whilst engaging female athletes as brand ambassadors helps to connect with female consumers.

Global sponsors for the Euros include Amazon, AXA, Heineken, Hublot and Visa (to name but a few). We're also seeing a real shift away from unisex products to performance kit and footwear specifically designed to meet the needs of women - with brands introducing new technology to give female athletes more comfortable clothing. It's a far cry from a generation ago.

Having spent 15 years at Nike before joining Frasers, I've seen firsthand how the industry has evolved from being predominantly male to embracing women's sports and participation. One of the biggest hurdles back then was encouraging women to believe in themselves. While progress has been made, this challenge still exists.

Great women are out there but too often hesitate to raise their hands or take the lead. At Frasers, part of my role is empowering other women in the company to succeed. Even when a door opens you still need courage to walk through it. So, on Saturday, enjoy the match - and join me in raising a glass to the Lionesses!

• Ger Wright is a board member of Frasers Group