Dubai: The newly established Girls Community Football (GCF) is calling on all girls aged 7-13 with a love for the beautiful game to sign-up and take part in its first tournament on Friday at Gems World Academy, Dubai.

This initiative aims to provide an independent platform for girls of all abilities to play more football and create a community for young female football fans. The GCF will host a series of mini tournaments, which will be accessible and affordable to all school, club and parent-led teams in Dubai and further afield.

Victoria Hepworth, Partner at Corporate Affair Event Management, which organises and manages the initiative, said: “The popularity of girls football continues to grow in the UAE. Yet, we were made aware of the need to develop an impartial platform to offer opportunities for girls to play football in a social yet competitive atmosphere. The GCF is aimed at all girls who wish to play, regardless of their ability, club or school affiliation.

“As an organisation, we are passionate about supporting grass-roots sport within the local community and our inaugural girls football tournament is a way of introducing Girls Community Football (GCF) to the UAE, and showcasing our plans for a new, inclusive football community to commence in the new year.”

Jodie Mortimer, Head of Girls Football, Primary Schools, and a strong advocate for girls youth football, added: “We’re pleased to see the launch of the GCF initiative and its plans to be a central hub for girls’ football in the UAE. It will bridge the gap between elite players, schools, clubs and parent-led teams by providing a structured, all-inclusive, opportunity for girls to play more football.”

The first tournament will take place on Friday from 9am to noon at Gems World Academy, Barsha South, Dubai. It will host competitive matches for girls in Years 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. School teams, clubs and parents are encouraged to enter teams into the various age groups. Details of further tournaments will follow in the New Year.

For more information and to register a team, please contact Victoria Hepworth at Corporate Affair Event Management at Victoria@corporateaffair-me.com