Play Sport4Life is about to launch its latest community initiative, the Girls’ Multi-Code Sport Festival, to generate greater participation of girls and women in sport.
Carolyn Inglis, the Project Manager for Play Sport4Life, said the festival would be an opportunity for everybody involved with playing, delivering, leading or working in sport to celebrate, raise awareness and increase the profile of girls’ women’s sport across Cape Town.
“This is a long-overdue initiative,” Carolyn said. “We have to change to the dominant view that it’s all about the boys and the men.
“At PS4L we are as passionate about females in sport as we are about their male counterparts. We will celebrate and showcase women’s sport at every level, from grassroots to elite, and highlight the incredible contribution that women bring to sport.
“Our society is all about inclusion but we must not pay lip service to that ideal. We have to practise what we preach. The girls and women deserve to be not just on the sidelines supporting their brothers, fathers or partners, but on the pitch.”
The Girls’ Multi-Code Sport Festival will be held on August 9 – International Women’s Day in South Africa – at the Factreton Primary School grounds in 16th Avenue. PS4L plans to make it an annual event.
The aim of the day is to:
- Improve the media profile of women’s sport and female athletes
- Raise awareness of inclusive opportunities for women and girls to participate
- Encourage women’s representation in sport leadership and workforce
“We think it is an appropriate day to launch the project. We appeal to all involved in sport to show their support to help women and girls reach their full potential through sport,” Carolyn said.
“We will highlight challenges in women’s sport, celebrate and reflect on local female role models who have been making an impact on our sport. Some prominent females and sporting legends will be part of this project to interact with the girls.”
PS4L recently added three women’s sports advocates to their Board of Directors, Linda Diedricks, Gail Reid and Gaya Mammon. All of which are working passionately in assisting and advocating for the importance of women in sports for community development.
Entry is free to all girls’ teams registering for under-12, 15 and 17 years in soccer, hockey and netball. All schools, clubs or social girl teams are welcome to enter.
If you would like to be involved in the Girls Multi-Code Sport Festival and be the first to hear about the plans and activities, please register early to secure a place.
Send us your team registration via email to Carolyn@ps4l.org.za info@ps4l.org.za (1) your team name, (2) sport code and (3) age group.
The format is based on a knock-out system for 5-a-side soccer and 7-a-side netball and hockey played for 7 minutes aside with a maximum of 10 players per team. The deadline for team entries is Friday 27 July 2018.
International women’s day is a day that has been celebrated globally since the early 1900s. It’s a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
For further information contact: Carolyn Inglis on 083 286 7199
