Deputy Foreign Minister Gry Larsen holding her speech . Photo: Bjørn Erik LøkenKick off for the first women’s football festival in the Middle East
24/11/2009 //
The kick off for the Norway-Middle East Girl's Football Festival was arranged 23 November. Among the speakers were Norwegian deputy foreign minister Gry Larsen, former NFF president and UEFA vice president Per Ravn Omdal, and FIFA Women's Football Development Manager Mayrilian Cruz Blanco. In addition to these, Olympic champion Gøril Kringen and World Cup champion Heidi Støre also attended the kick off arrangement. During the ceremony, the participating girls marched in to Petra Stadium, and hundreds of white balloons under the flags of the participating nations symbolised fair play and friendship.
The Norway – Middle East Girl’s Football Festival is a part of NFF’s Middle East project, in which NFF cooperates with the national FAs of Iraq, Jordan and Syria to develop and support grassroots football. By inviting LFA, IFF and PFA to join the girl’s festival, NFF aims to expand its cooperation with FAs in the Middle East. NFF’s Middle East project was launched in 2008 and is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Football Association of Norway (NFF) initiates this festival to focus on mutual learning and capacity building rather than competition. The participating girls (16 from each country aged from 14 to 16) are divided into 8 multinational training groups that train together and play the other groups throughout the festival. These groups are divided into two sections of four groups each. Each group will play three matches during the festival. The girls will work closely together, share lodging and eat their meals together during the festival.