The ‘Live Your Goals’ Festival officially came to a close in Karak Governorate on Saturday, 28 November at Prince Faisal Stadium in Jordan, marking the conclusion of a week-long series of activities aimed at encouraging more girls to take up football in Jordan. Targeting young girls and teenagers, the Festival drew the participation of 144 female students between the ages of six and 14 from several Karak schools.
In addition to ‘Live Your Goals’ Ambassadors Hiba Fakher Al Deen, Malak Shannak and Tasneem Abu Al Rob, participants were supervised by 24 trainers from grassroots centers across the Kingdom and physical education teachers from the Governorate’s various schools. Throughout the Festival, young girls were able to take part in a variety of football-related training courses, activities and events.
“We are very pleased with the enormous success of the ‘Live Your Goals’ Festival in Karak Governorate,” said Samar Nassar, CEO of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. “The Festival represented a unique opportunity for young girls interested in football, as it enabled us to discover a number of talented players who deserve to have their athletic talents recognized and their skills further developed. Acting as a platform for these girls to unleash their passion for football, the Festival also allowed us to guide their energies in the right direction,” she added.
The Karak event marked the Festival’s fourth stop in the Kingdom after taking place in Amman, Zarqa and Irbid and provided passionate football fans with a small taste of what is to come when Jordan hosts next year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which takes place from 30 September to 21 October.
“It is time for women’s football to receive the attention it deserves,” said Tasneem Abu Al Rob, a member of the Jordan National U-17 Football Team and a ‘Live Your Goals’ Festival Ambassador. “We are eagerly looking forward to the long-term positive impact of hosting a World Cup tournament here next year, paving the way for the empowerment of women in general and the development of women’s football in Jordan in particular.”
The ‘Live Your Goals’ Festival is a collaborative effort of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup LOC, and Jordan Football Association. The Live Your Goals campaign was launched at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ and has evolved into one of FIFA’s most recognised initiatives in women’s football. In 2015, FIFA’s has implemented 144 activities, through the Live Your Goals programmes in 50 member associations. With over 40,000 girls participating in Live Your Goals festivals, and tens of thousands of girls joined football through the programme. From Peru, to Costa Rica, to Uganda, to India, to Tahiti and now Jordan, Live Your Goals is present in all regions across the world.