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A series of exciting and fun-filled activities took place this March as Asia came together to commemorate the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Day 2024.
A record-equalling 41 Member Associations (MAs) joined the celebrations on the milestone 10th edition of the AFC Women’s Football Day, which aims to promote and honour the progress of women’s football across the Continent.
Join AFC Media in the third and final part of a series that highlights some of the wide-ranging initiatives that were on display, which acknowledge the hard work and remarkable achievements of women in Asian football and at the same time, seek to encourage more women and young girls to develop a life-long passion for the beautiful game.
Macau
Over 70 per cent of the participants at the AFC Women’s Football Day 2024 celebrations in Macau played football for the first time, as the sport reached new audiences.
Held at the Dom Bosco Sports Centre on March 17, the festival featured two segments targeting different age categories: Family comprised fun exercises for children aged between three to six years, while the 3v3 Women’s Rookie Games involved Under-9, Under-12, Under-16 teams and teams above 17 years.
Refreshments were provided and souvenirs were handed out at the event, which was attended by Director of Macau Sports Bureau, Pun Weng Kun, President of Macau Football Association (AFM), Lai Pak Leng and Vice Chairman of Macau Football Association, Chong Coc Veng.
Northern Mariana Islands
Reflecting the incredible growth in the women’s football programme on the island, the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association (NMIFA) Women’s Committee witnessed a heartening turnout when they hosted a 3v3 Single Elimination Tournament on March 10 from 2 to 6.30pm.
The 10 30m by 25m fields at the Northern Mariana Islands Soccer Training Centre in Koblerville, Saipan buzzed with energy and enthusiasm as 220 participants across 55 teams showcased their skills and teamwork.
Females of all ages and skill levels were welcome in an inclusive event as four different age groups were on display across three levels: ages 15 and above competed in the Tinekcha (Premier) tournament, while the 18-28, 29-39 and 40 and above groups were able to choose between the Simiya (Novice) and Flores (Intermediate) tournaments.
Each high-intensity game lasted 10 minutes as participants celebrated the AFC Women’s Football Day 2024 for a 10th edition, demonstrating the NMIFA’s steadfast commitment to advancing and empowering women in football.
Additionally, the presence of significant women leaders within the football community, including NMIFA Vice President Ms. Vickie Izuka, NMIFA Deputy General Secretary Ms. Merlie Tolentino, NMIFA Executive Committee Member Ms. Catherine Attao-Toves, NMIFA Treasurer Ms. Elna Curate, NMIFA Standing Committee Members and Club Officers Ms. Pam Walsh, Ms. Christy Villaflor, Ms. Alleny Tenorio, Ms. Noelle Reyes, Ms. Carline Sablan and Ms. Moriah Sablan, NMIFA Acting Technical Director Coach Konomi Suzuki, and guest speaker Ms. Shawna Brennfleck exemplified the diversity and women empowerment at the celebrations.
Saudi Arabia
Girls from the Under-12 and Under-20 age-groups of the Futsal Regional Training Centre in Riyadh enjoyed an entertaining evening on March 3 as the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) marked the AFC Women’s Football Day 2024.
The three-hour schedule of activities at the Princess Nora University in Riyadh got underway with a segment featuring four game stations for 25 U12 players, with four teams competing against each other and getting warmed up for the next activity.
The same group of players were then joined by 10 players from the national futsal team to form five teams, who faced off against each other in a small-sided league competition. Thereafter, the U20 players took to the court for their turn to shine, with 20 of them engaging in the same small-sided league format with plenty of enthusiasm and competitiveness.
The inclusive event also involved mothers who accompanied their daughters as they had the opportunity to take part in individual fun challenges during breaks between the games, which came with the chance to win Saudi Arabian national team jerseys.
Singapore
The celebrations in Singapore kicked off for a 10th consecutive time with a five-a-side Women’s Football Fiesta on March 9 at the Choa Chu Kang SAFRA futsal pitches that comprised 100 participants across four age groups: U8, U10, U12 and U16. Teams from the first three age groups came from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Girl Cubs Programme, while the U16 players were assembled from schools, community teams and private academies.
Cheered on by friends and families, the participants squared off amid a convivial atmosphere from 9am to 4pm, with Ms Julie Teo, Council Member and Chairperson of Women’s Football Committee of the FAS presenting awards to the participants at the conclusion of the event.
The second activity of the day featured player escorts from the Girl Cubs Programme walking out with players of both teams at the 2024 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season opener between defending champions Lion City Sailors and Tiong Bahru FC at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
Ms Teo, along with FAS General Secretary, Yazeen Buhari and Women’s National Team head coach Karim Bencherifa, graced the occasion for a VIP handshake ceremony with the two sides to officially launch the 23rd edition of the WPL.
Syria
Players from the Syria women’s national team participated in a festival on March 10 as they joined 70 girls from various club-affiliated school training centres at the Baath Stadium in the city of Homs.
Organised by the Syrian Football Association (SFA), the event was held at noon and allowed the girls to take part in a football skills challenge competition, football-related games and finally, a full-pitch friendly match that lasted half an hour; shirts and other prizes were distributed at the end of the day.
Tajikistan
Over 100 girls gathered in Dushanbe on March 7 at the Central Republican Stadium to commemorate the AFC Women’s Football Day 2024, with the aim to grow awareness of women’s football as well as participation rates in the country.
Various football-based activities were set up for the girls to delight in, with all participants receiving shirts and footballs at the end of the event.
Turkmenistan
Together with the State Committee for Physical Education and Sports of Turkmenistan, the Football Federation of Turkmenistan (FFT) organised a football festival in the capital city Ashgabat on March 9.
Women’s national team head coach Kamil Mingazov, a former men’s international, led the various activities, which also saw his women’s national team players join in. Participants were able to savour a fun day and brought home balls, T-shirts and other gifts from the FFT.
Timor-Leste
The Federação Futebol De Timor-Leste (FFTL) organised two key activities on March 8 that proved to be resounding successes in contributing to the progress of women in football.
First, a seminar to empower and educate women in the sport was conducted to an audience of over 50. Kicking off with an opening address by the General Secretary of FFTL, Gregorio Correia, the seminar then featured presentations from Plan International – an organisation working on community development and children’s rights in the country, with a focus on girls’ rights and gender equality – and the Coach Education arm of the FFTL that highlighted the significance of women in football and the benefits they bring.
The event served as a platform for participants to candidly discuss challenges, share experiences, and explore avenues for personal and professional growth, while also gleaning invaluable insights and inspiration from the guest speakers.
Thereafter a friendly match took place between the girls and boys from the Youth Academy Team, as they exhibited teamwork and determination, and embodied sportsmanship and friendship.
The FFTL concluded in their report: “The event served as a demonstration of the dedication and passion of female football enthusiasts globally, inspiring future generations to fearlessly pursue their dreams within football.”
Vietnam
Celebrating the occasion for a 10th time, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) brought festivities to Phu Ly, the capital city of Ha Nam Province, south of Hanoi on March 8.
Various activities were held at the Ha Nam Stadium, in close collaboration with the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, for around 100 youth female players from the U11, U12, U14, U16 and U19 Ha Nam teams.
Football and training equipment were provided by the VFF for the participants, who engaged in skill training sessions, small-sided games and other fun activities under the guidance of women’s national team players Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung (most-capped Vietnam player and Vietnam Golden Ball winner in 2014 and 2018), Tran Thi Hong Nhung and Tran Thi Duyen.
The event was graced by Deputy General Secretary of VFF, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Ha, Deputy Director of Ha Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ngo Thanh Tuan, Member of the VFF Women’s Football Committee, Pham Hai Anh, Director of VFF Grassroots, Education, Luu Quang Dien Bien Director of VFF Grassroots, Education and Affiliated members Department, along with VFF coaching staff.
Ms. Nguyen Thanh Ha said: “The VFF is very delighted that the event has been held for the first time in Ha Nam, which is considered as one of the cradles of Vietnamese women’s football development. The VFF believes that this will be an extremely meaningful activity, attracting the attention of leaders, media and women’s football fans, contributing to the development of the Ha Nam women’s football in particular and Vietnamese women’s football in general.”
