Egypt’s Jamila Awad takes part in premier skill’s 1st event in Sinai

CAIRO - 17 September 2021: With the participation of superstar Jamila Awad, Premier Skills launched the “1000 Girls 1000 Dreams” initiative’s first event that aims at training male and female football coaches. Organized by Premiere League in collaboration with the British Council, as well as  theMinistry of Youth and Sports in Sharm El Sheikh September 11th - 13th.

The event included a workshop for football coaches, run by the Premiere League accredited coach educators, and was held on September 11th and 12th. Male and Female coaches participated in the workshop that offered  a number of activities on and off the field, including training sessions, educational classes and a self-study by trainees.

Under the slogan “Sports for all”, the last day of the event beheld the Girls Football Festival, where girls of North and South Sinai governorates participated in the presence of representatives of the British Council, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Star Jamila Awad, who expressed her support for Sinai future female leaders, saying "The importance of this event lies in the opportunity it gives for girls not only to play football, but also to build their self-confidence. It also enables them to overcome the challenges they face from traditions, customs and limited resources, and to have a better sport-based future”

Fayza Haider is captain of Egypt’s national women’s soccer team, Aviation Club, and the first female Egyptian coach accredited by the English FA and the first to coach a men’s team in Egypt. She participated in the workshop and commented, "Today we are witnessing the achievement of one of Premier Skills’ major goals, which is to reach border areas like North and South Sinai. It’s a first-of-its-kind event that allowed us to see Sinai girls playing football for the first time, the thing that shall take women's football to a whole other level."

Salma abd Elbadeea, one of the participants in Premiere Skills expressed her happiness, saying. "I came from El Tor city to Sharm El-Sheikh to play football.  I benefited a lot from Premiere Skills, where in the past I didn't know much about football. However, I learnt how to play the game properly through participating in the programme and collaborating with the team. Before this programme, I thought girls couldn't play football, but now I believe we can play it like all the others."

The aim of this workshop was to educate the coaches on how to train girls to play football in their communities, while applying rules ensuring children’s security, safety and protection from all forms of abuse before, during and after the sports activity. The festival, on the other hand sheds the light on the girls of North and South Sinai, raising their self-esteem, and pushing them forward to pursue better opportunities, despite the given limited resources dedicated to women empowerment in the two governorates, as well as the tribal customs and traditions that hinder their future.

Dr. Ahmed Abbas, one of the programme's trainees, added, "I ran for this program to become part of its admitted team of trainers. The programme has granted us a lot of skills and experience, with the aim of serving the people of North and South Sinai, specifically girls aged 10-16. It is really a great initiative by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the British Council, especially it is the first time to hold such an event  in North and South Sinai." He noted that the next phase shall witness their work as coaches in North and South Sinai, where they bring together teams of girls who can compete seriously and join the Football League Second Division and the Premier League. "

The Premier Skills programme in Egypt focuses on empowering women and girls through grassroots football, where they attain leadership and communication skills to build a flourishing society and meet their everyday challenges.

In 2018, Premier League-certified educator coaches Fayza Haider and Ekramy Al Gamal formed and coached the Special Olympics female Unified Football team through Premier Skills Programme. They introduced the mentally challenged girls to the girls’ football to help them integrate into society. They received Third Class Sports Medal for their outstanding efforts after winning the bronze medal in the Special Olympics held in Chicago, 2018.

The Premier Skills programme was launched in 2007 and managed to engage over 20,000 young coaches and referees , 67 % of which are women.

Throughout Egypt, “1000 Girls 1000 Dreams” initiative, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in partnership with the British Council, reached 1,200 girls of Upper Egypt and Delta.