The 8^th ISF Girls Football Tournament was held on February 18th, 2017 at the ISF Sports Ground in Phnom Penh. The ISF Girls Tournament is one of ISF’s flagship events and a momentous day for women’s and girls’ sports in Cambodia.

This year the event attracted 24 teams from Phnom Penh and nine provinces in Cambodia, and more than 1,300 attendees. It was an amazing day filled with fun, joy and unforgettable memories, which promoted sportsmanship and teamwork.

Despite tough competitions, CLC Phnom Penh, last year’s winner, remained strong and undefeated from the round robin to the semi-finals and reached the finals thanks to strong defence and attack lines. At the final, CLC Phnom Penh beat Mlop Tapang 2 – 0 and was crowned as the tournament winner for the second year in a row. The whole team and the coach were extremely excited to have been able to successfully defend their title. Read the full results of the Girls Tournament here.

The day also included events for players with intellectual and physical disabilities from partner organizations from Kandal Province and Phnom Penh. These games and activities were sponsored by FIFA Football for Hope, who support activities for players in our Sports for All Abilities Programme. Players with intellectual and physical disabilities were integrated into the ISF Football Programme in 2013 and we will continue our drive to support players of all abilities in the programme, breaking down the social barriers that exclude persons with disabilities from being active members of their community.

The Girls Tournament was a fantastic day of organized sport which promoted friendship and sportsmanship. Before ISF, there were no official opportunities for  females to play football in Cambodia and ISF is proud to have been a pioneer of women’s football in the country. Through our football programme, we aim to empower female players to reach their full potential and challenge the traditional gender roles and stereotypes of women in Cambodian society. Almost half of the players (1,600) and 22% of our coaches are now female and we have continued to support players of all abilities in the programme. We are proud to have led the way in this area and seek to continue to foster social inclusion through sports.

Last but not least, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Brogan & Co. for sponsoring the ISF Girls Tournament 2017 and to FIFA Football for Hope for sponsoring the activities and games for all abilities players. Thank you for your support in helping us make events like these a key fixture in the Cambodian grassroots football scene.