Afghanistan: UN official honours
winners of first-ever girls football competition
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19394&Cr=Afghan&Cr1=#
3 August 2006 – A
senior United Nations official today presented a trophy to the winners of the
first-ever Kabul Girls Football Competition, a milestone event for young women
in Afghanistan, where their rights were severely curtailed under the ousted
Taliban regime, and voiced hope that sports would inspire them to pursue all of
their dreams.
“Sports provide children of all ages, boys and girls,
with opportunities to express themselves, to contribute their opinions, and to
become agents for change,” UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan
Ameerah Haq stated
following the match, held at the Ministry of Defence Sports Field.
“Today’s competition marks a milestone for young girls
in Afghanistan, who just five years ago were not even allowed to
attend school, let alone play sports,” she said. “Hopefully, their participation
in events such as this one will inspire young girls to pursue their dreams, in
whatever fields interest them.”
Kabul boasts 15 girls’ football teams,
consisting of young women from the ages of 13 to 20. The winners of today’s
match will go on to face the winners of other regional competitions in the
finals, under the auspices of the Afghanistan Football Federation.
All of the participants in today’s competition were
presented with footballs made especially for the UN Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan (UNAMA) by disabled Afghans
and paid for from staff donations. Over 1,000 footballs will be delivered to
schools, orphanages and prisons across Afghanistan.
