Football: Girls give it a go

HAPPENINGSThe first Thar Foundation All-Sindh Female Football Tournament ended with an exhilarating show of sportsmanship, skill and dexterity in the final, in which Tharparkar Terminators beat Karachi Royals by 2:1. It was but a high-strung play; both the teams tried very hard, but couldn’t score. The match had to be decided through penalty kicking. The Thar Foundation in collaboration with Diya Women Football Club hosted the three-day football tournament - played from December 23rd to 25th at Thar Coal Block II, Islamkot - focused on under-13 females of Sindh. The tournament, organized by the Foundation’s education wing, brought together female teams from across eight districts of Sindh including Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Khairpur and Hub. It was based on the Foundation’s initiatives to empower the Thari girls and women through its various initiatives.The event was graced on the second day by the Provincial Minister of Women Development, Shehla Raza. She celebrated the involvement of Thari girls in such avenues and was appreciative of the efforts of Thar Foundation which is not only focusing on educating the girls but also providing them with avenues through which they can actualize their potential. On the last day, Karachi Royals won the first semi-finals against Tharparkar Thunders by 1:0 goals. For the second semi-final, Khairpur Knights and Tharparkar Terminators were to play against each other, but, Knights were disqualified over lack of adherence to the rules and the Terminators got a walkover, pushing them to the finals.In the finals, after a real tough competition, Tharparkar Terminators beat Karachi Royals by 2:1 in penalty kicking sessions. Earlier, Thar Foundation with the help of the FIFA-approved Diya Women’s Football Club organized its pilot Inter-School Female Football Tournament in June 2018. Vast majority of individuals claimed to love and appreciate this initiative and said that this tournament was a significant beginning towards woman empowerment and the fact that such avenues and opportunities were being created for the women folk in Tharparkar.

from The News International - US http://bit.ly/2Rc4qHs