Equal opportunity football

Continuing with actions in favor of domestic football, Arcos Dorados and Fepafut announced the first McDonald’s festival of women’s football, intended for girls in hard-to-reach communities that will take place during July in the provinces of Darién, Bocas del Toro, Coclé and Los Santos. This initiative organized by FEPAFUT aims to create greater interaction and promotion of women’s football in Panama, from the new generations.

The activity is expected to affect more than 400 girls between the ages of 6 and 12, and its mission is to create equal access to football, promote sports and recreational activities. The football clinics will be led by the first coaches Panamanians with Concacaf C license, national D license and certification of the educational program according to FEPAFUT.

“The promotion of sports is the spread of positive actions and it gives me great pleasure to carry this project hand in hand with Fepafut in order to continue promoting football and sports in new generations.” Loney Armijo, director of Arcos Dorados Panama expressed “At Arcos Dorados we have always felt a great duty to support the community, we hope this is just the beginning of a fruitful project that can reach more and more girls.”

After this national tour, the participating girls will enter the system of provincial, corregimiento and district leagues that generate the base of U14 and U16 amateur tournaments.

“By implementing this project, we want to achieve greater interaction and promotion women’s soccer in Panamaour main mission is to spread the sport and encourage the interest of girls and young people in women’s football, following the pillars of our strategic plan for women’s football” shared Pedro Gordón, Vice President of FEPAFUT “The road is long, but we want to continue strengthening the foundation of the potential that exists in the new generations soccer players from Panama”

Each province will have two tournament dates, which will be announced during the month of July through the respective provincial invitational organizers. At least 100 girls per day will be requested from provincial organizations, who may come from primary schools in selected areas. Entry to this tournament is completely free, and participants will only be asked to deliver a bottle or plastic material that follows the activity with a call to protect and care for planet earth.

“This is recreation, health and wellness”

Carolina Joly, Commissioner for Women’s Footballhe talked about what it means for FEPAFUT this beginning of the festival. “It really leaves a great taste in our mouths. Women’s football festivals are not new in the association. It is always important for us to activate the girls, especially those who have never played football.”

“It’s not just about spreading the sport. For them, it is especially recreation, health and well-being in places that are difficult to access because they don’t always have this type of activity”.

“This project takes McDonald’s brand and the fact that we can sustainably maintain a project that has been in the federation for years is important to us”.

Calendar

The next stop of the festival will be in the province of Los Santos, on July 15 and 16 in Carmelo Cedeño.

Then they will go to Bocas del Toro, to the stadium Pele stadium where more than 100 girls from Changuinola are expected.

The tour will end in August at Regional Court of the University of Panama. The girls will be there from the Metetí area.