Residential football academy for girls launched by LaLiga, Vicente Ferrer Foundation in Anatapur

The Vicente Ferrer Foundation, through the Rural Development Trust (RDT), and LaLiga, through its Women's Football department, have launched a residential football academy for girls in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.

Twenty girls under the age of 15 from Anantapur’s rural communities, have been selected for the programme. They will receive financial and educational sponsorship for one year to reside and train at the Anantapur Sports Village (ASV) facilities.

The players selected will also be enrolled in regular schools and will receive classes to build social skills as well as computer literacy. During their stay in the residential program, they will also be provided with healthcare, sports and training equipment. The players will attend various sports tournaments and friendly matches as well.

In addition, the residential academy will provide a training development plan for talented girls from rural Anantapur to pursue a career in football. This will focus on honing their skills under the tutelage of qualified coaches who will oversee and coordinate the project.

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Read: Sevilla FC supports youth in LaLiga’s program in Anantapur Rural Football League

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Anna Ferrer, co-founder and president of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation, spoke about the program. Ferrer said the ongoing improvement of sporting facilities in the region would prepare girls for future opportunities in Indian women's football.

"We firmly believe that when children are given equal opportunities, regardless of their gender and social class, each of them is capable of achieving things that help them grow. This same conviction, combined with the support of LaLiga and the LaLiga Foundation, allowed the Rural Development Trust to gradually reach this stage of creating the first residential women's football program."

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The gradual explosion of women's football in India

This new residential program has been made possible through a long-standing and successful partnership between LaLiga, the Rural Development Trust and the Vicente Ferrer Foundation. Through this partnership, a non-residential program for U-13 and U-15 girls as well as a network of local football clubs have been initiated.

As part of the non-residential program, selected girls were given the opportunity to attend camps. These camps allowed them to participate in regular football training, life skills development sessions and go on trips to competitions during the duration of the camp.

So far, 1,816 children have accessed their 'basic right: to play', and there has been a 295% hike in girls' participation in football over the past three years. The numbers point towards a growing interest in women's sports across India at a slow but steady pace. However, female players often lack support and opportunities to train regularly, especially if they are from rural or vulnerable communities.

Anjali, 24, a coach for the recently opened residential program, has struggled to pursue her dream of a career in sport. She said:

"When I was young, my neighbors used to tell my parents that football was not suitable for girls. Luckily, my parents always supported me and believed in me. I want to encourage other girls like me to pursue their sporting dreams. I wouldn't be so confident if it wasn't for sport."

Anusha, 13, from Atmakur and also a football player enrolled in the recently launched program, added:

"Many women before me, like my mother for example, never had the opportunity to play sports when they were younger. I want to make my parents proud and show the whole world that girls are just as strong and committed, and just as good footballers, as boys."

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