The glass ceiling preventing women taking up senior posts in sports management is still in place, according to a report published by The Commission on the Future of Women's Sport (CFWS).

In the Trophy Women? NGB Leadership Audit 2010report, the commission claims that despite an increase in the number of high-profile female directors of sport, the sports sector is still not reflecting gender diversity at senior management levels.

The lacking of female role models at the highest level, the report states, is "hampering the work to increase women's participation in sport".

Figures show that that only one in five members of national governing body (NGB) boards is female, and seven, out of total of 46 NGBs, do not have a single woman on their board.

Sue Tibballs, chief executive, Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation said: "These figures show that while a few individuals have reached the top, in general there is significant under-representation of women at a senior level.

"As a result sport continues to be ill-equipped to understand and engage with half the population.

"We desperately need more women in top jobs to grow grass-roots female participation and to secure a viable sporting legacy for the next generation."