Women's Football Gets FIFA Relief
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Monday September 21, 2020 13:14
The association recently received its share of US$500, 000 (approximately P5.7 million) women football grant from the world governing body.
The money is for women’s football relief and development. FIFA made the announcement in July that it had taken a decision to assist all its member associations with grants and loans to help survive following the setback suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the announcement, FIFA said through the grants, there will US$500, 000 set aside which will directly go into women’s football in each member association. The grant is set to boost the financial deficiencies suffered by women’s football in the country for years. The women’s Football league has been struggling to attract sponsors over the years, causing a huge burden on the clubs to stay afloat.
The association has said that it considered the dire situation faced by women’s teams across the country and resolved that from the almost P5.7 million received from FIFA, P15, 500 be reserved for each team. This is to mitigate the negative effects brought about by the stoppage of all football activities since March. The association also revealed that the national executive committee (NEC) would sit down with the women’s football committee to see how best the rest of the money could be disbursed in line with the guidelines released by FIFA and the association.
According to the budget breakdown agreed between the association and FIFA, US$53, 202 (about P608, 274) will be directed towards women’s football administration and staff. This will include rehiring of staff and bringing new staff. The women’s senior national team and youth national teams will each get P497, 618.
The senior women’s domestic competitions have also been budgeted for and will get approximately P915, 781 while the youth domestic competitions will receive P495, 115. The money includes COVID-19 medical protocols in both competitions. The rest of the money will go into coaching, refereeing Five-a-side grassroots pitches and care for women’s office as well as porter cabin offices.