Just a few years ago, it was hard to imagine girls playing alongside boys in Saudi Arabia and high-fiving each other to celebrate a goal – not only because soccer is traditionally a male-dominated sport, but also because mixed-sex activities are generally restricted in the kingdom.
But at the launch of 카지노사이트 FIFA’s Football School Program in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 16, it was a common sight, especially when female youth players celebrated a goal with their male counterparts, as it seemed so natural.
The FIFA Football School Program took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for three days starting on June 16. Female youth players received soccer lessons and more than 120 male and female coaches from across the country received leadership training. In the process, a system was created to strengthen the education system and make soccer more accessible to female youth players, while also planning a system to develop female leaders.
Ibrahim Al-Qassim, Secretary General of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), said: “We currently have four FIFA ‘Football School Program’ training centers in the country. “We are working to educate female leaders, offering 40 courses to help them develop female players,” says Ibrahim Al-Qasim, SAFF general secretary. “We have also set up a new department to develop the women’s national team and the women’s football league.
“I truly believe that the growth of women’s football in Saudi Arabia is one of the most exciting stories in world football,” said Alia Abdulaziz Alassid, SAFF Head of Women’s Football. It is now developing across the country and is a reflection of wider changes.”
“It’s always great to see the progress of our member associations around the world,” said Fatimata Sidibe, Director of FIFA’s Football Schools Program, “and the progress made in Saudi Arabia over the past three years is truly remarkable. This outstanding progress will serve as a foundation for further development of the football culture and infrastructure.”
Women’s soccer was long absent in Saudi Arabia for religious reasons. However, it began to emerge in the mid-to-late 2010s after discussions about reforming the sport, and has since been heavily invested in. This has included the construction of physical regional training centers and educational programs to train female football players and coaches. The FIFA Football School program is one of them.
Today, Saudi Arabia has seen phenomenal growth in women’s soccer. The country has a new national women’s soccer team and a women’s soccer league. Earlier this year, the kingdom made a change by handing over the reins of the women’s national team to Rosa Rappi Seppala (Finland), and it’s paying off, as the team entered the FIFA rankings for the first time in March (172nd).