GFF to convey girls’ festival activity

The Gambia Football Federation is set to stage a girls’ festival activity slated for 19 December to be held at the FIFA Goal project in Yundum at 9:00am with a march-past from the Yundum Police Station.

This will serve as a closing ceremony for the FIFA technical course for women, which will feature 26 participants including elite national team players.

The football activity is seen as integral part by the GFF’s local cultures, with its positive aspects to brings smiles to children’s faces even in the worst of circumstances, by arriving at a field with a soccer ball which could win an instant friendship and immediate access into a local community, with the 2012 FIFA Lunched a new initiative for women’s football named Girls Festival.

Speaking at a press briefing yesterday at the GFF House, Ebrima Manneh, GFF technical director said the festival is set to attract 240 participants from which 16 schools identified in region 1 and 2 with 10 participants each, 50 participants from the women’s football association and 30 children from the SOS children’s village with an age bracket of 6 to 12.

The objectives to increase girls’ participation and strengthening women in football starting from grassroots/youth

According to Manneh, the mission was meant to ensure that female football is governed effectively and become an integral part to the work of the GFF.

He added that FIFA provides equipment and teaching materials, books, DVDs for the technical course and the festival for girls.

It also included instructors for the technical course such as Jacqueline Shipanga from Namibia and funding for the technical course and the festival, he noted.

Coach educators will include graduates of the 4 day FIFA technical course, to serve as coach educators in the two-fold event.