Doha College recently hosted a girls’ only football tournament with participants from the school’s sporting academy Evolution Sports Qatar (EVO), PSG Academy and Lusail Football Club. Girls from over 30 nationalities joined and played football on their floodlit 4G pitch.
Year 6 Doha College student Saffiyah Shaikh was thrilled at the opportunity to be part of the game. Born in Manchester, football is a big part of the local culture, and the tournament allows her to be free on the pitch, teaching her discipline, to keep going and to always get back up.
According to FIFA, they hope to see 60 million women around the globe playing football by 2026. This is twice the number of women playing the sport less than 10 years ago.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ has generated a surge in the popularity of the women’s game with the world’s best players converging in Qatar this year. New generations of footballers are emerging and proving that inclusivity is a reality of the present, rather than a faraway goal.
EVO’s new Girls’ Soccer Coordinator Rosie Todd shared her first impressions of the opportunities for girls to be involved in football.
I didn’t really know what to expect when I arrived in Qatar a few months ago. The first time I saw the girls playing, I could tell that there was a fantastic foundation built up by EVO since the club started in 2007.
She said that with the World Cup still to come and inspire thousands more, this can only keep growing and growing, and this is a positive impact on the future of football for women.
For more information about the football programmes run by Doha College in conjunction with Evolution Sports Qatar, visit dohacollege.com.
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