THE INAUGURAL Secondary Schools’ Football League (SSFL) Girls’ Premiership Division will be hosted in 2023.
The new inter-school tourney was initially scheduled to kick off in 2020 but the pandemic continues to be the primary reason for its lengthy delay.
However, the 2022 SSFL season will resume in full, with the boys’ premiership and boys’ and girls’ championship divisions, in September.
SSFL president Merere Gonzales confirmed the postponement of this venture, which he said falls in line with FIFA's vision for more emphasis to be placed on women’s football in the country.
“Due to some immediate constraints, the premiership division girls’ will unfortunately not be able to materialise this year. But certainly, for 2023, we would be embarking on it.
“This is an initiative on the front burner for the SSFL, but because of different scenarios which have unfolded within recent times, along with the pandemic, we are certain to get under way in 2023. In the interim, they resume regular championship competition,” he said.
On Monday, the Ministry of Education confirmed that all school sporting/extra-curricular activity and inter-school competitions could resume, thanks to the government’s recent roll-back of covid19 restrictions.
Gonzales welcomed the return to nationwide inter-school sports and competitions.
The SSFL has already started contacting schools to find out which competitions they would be interested in participating in from September.
“I’m also reminding principals to apply to play in the lower divisions such as Under-14, Under-15 and Under-16 competitions.
“Based on the responses we get from these various schools, only then we’d be able to know which of the divisions we’d be able to accommodate, based on the numbers,” he added.
Gonzales anticipates favourable responses.
“Most likely, there will be a high demand and great need to get back on to the field of play with these student-athletes. I am optimistic most, if not all divisions, would resume in the 2022/2023 term," he said.
From now until the season starts, the SSFL will host some off-season activities such as a ball-dribbling competition; either online or physical, among others. It also plans a pilot project for an inter-school futsal competition and even a beach soccer programme, by 2023.
Additionally, the board will host several educational webinars for coaches and students on the many aspects of the game, both on and off the field.
SOURCE: T&T Newsday