News HFCA proud partner of Girls Onside FC program for girls aged 6 to 12

HFCA joins the new Girls Onside Football Cambodia (GOFC) program as a founding partner.

GOFC will be a first for Cambodian football by offering high quality football training to girls aged 6 to 12 years old. GOFC aims to remove all barriers for young girls in Cambodia who want to get involved in football by offering a large-scale introduction to football that will become the foundation for the next generation of women’s sport.

Guest speakers, sponsors and program founders at the GOFC official launch event at Raintree Cambodia on 4th of May. Image GOFC

GOFC’s organizational members include three of the biggest football clubs in Cambodia such asPKR Svay Rieng FC, Phnom Penh Crown FC and Boeung Ket FC. Other founding members are KMH Foundation of ISI Group, Riel Phnom Penh Srey and Football for Life.

"GOFC has the potential to be a game changer for female participation in football in Cambodia and HFCA are proud to be a founding partner."
Paraic Grogan, Founder HFCA

GOFC 1st camp will take place on the 29th of May. Image GOFC

HFCA as an NGO has been running programs for girls to play football since its inception in 2005 with its main focus on girls aged 12 to 18. Having launched the HFCA Senior Women's team in 2021 this new program allows girls from our NGO partners to join HFCA aged six and above and have a clearly defined pathway within HFCA to access high quality football programs from aged six to adulthood and even becoming a professional footballer.

(L to R) President of Boeung Ket FC Puth Thyda, Srey Ka Molika and His Excellency Samheng Boros. Image GOFC

"Promoting girls in sports is an area very close to me and I am delighted to see initiatives such as GOFC, which is using a tested model to inspire more girls to join football. I encourage Cambodian parents to encourage and support their daughters to join sports such as football."

His Excellency Samheng Boros, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation."As a woman and a football lover, I am extremely happy to have been part of the GOFC. I am fully aware of how important grassroots football is for girls. This will greatly help develop women’s football in Cambodia and I fully support this initiative."
Puth Thyda, President of Boeung Ket FC.

(L to R) Bailey Hobbs, Kamini Ives, Ravi Ives and Ah Mealea from Riel Phnom Penh women's team. Image GOFC

With the help of sponsors Urban Living Solutions (ULS) and ABA Bank, GOFC will set up girls only football camps in Phnom Penh to start with and HFCA will select 10 girls to join.  GOFC will also host its own weekly training sessions. The GOFC model will be expanded to other clubs and provinces in the future and HFCA will aim to be part of that expansion as we currently runs football programs for teenage girls in three villages in Siem Reap.

Girls in Phnom Penh take part in GOFC soft launch football activity in early 2022. Image GOFC

"In my 10 years as a football development officer in Ireland one of my biggest challenges was being tasked with increasing the number of girls playing football. I am delighted to be working with GOFC on tackling that very same issue in Cambodia. Come and help us show that football is for everyone." Conor Nestor, Head Coach of PKR Svay Rieng FC.

(L to R) HFCA Founder Paraic Grogan as event MC & PKR Svay Rieng FC Head Coach Conor Nestor. Image GOFC

If you would like to register your daughter for the GOFC camp please go to Girls Onside Football Cambodia (GOFC) Facebook page for registration details.