At the "Kjumurno" field in Bitola, on the eve of the qualifying match between the women's national teams of Macedonia and Andorra, the first festival for girls aged 8 to 12 was held, as part of the project for the development of women's football implemented by Football Federation of Macedonia with support from FIFA.
The event is part of a broader initiative aimed at increasing interest in football among the youngest girls and creating a new base of young talent. The festival in Bitola is the first of ten events that will be held across the country over the next two years.
Around 50 girls from primary schools in Bitola participated on the "Kjumurno" field, invited with the support of the Municipality of Bitola. The activities also included women's football clubs from the city, as well as coaches from the football academy in Bitola, who introduced the girls to the sport through educational and entertaining football games.
The event was attended by the representative of FFM, Nikolche Noveski, the Mayor of the Municipality of Bitola, Toni Konjanovski, as well as the coach of the women's A national team, Aleksandar Andov, who They emphasized the importance of organizing such activities for the future of women's football.
„"We are especially glad that today in Bitola we see so many smiling girls enjoying football. Our goal as a federation is to create conditions for as many girls as possible to get involved in the sport, and festivals like this are the first step towards discovering new talents and building a stronger future for women's football in Macedonia," Noveski noted.
The head coach of the women's national team, Andov, emphasized that such events are important for the development of new generations of female footballers.
„"When you see so many children on the field, you immediately get additional motivation. It is from festivals like these that the love for football begins. Our task is to provide them with a path along which those girls may one day reach the national jersey," said Andov.
The project's ambassador is the Macedonian soccer player Melanija Grozdanova, who was part of the event and shared her experiences and the opportunities that football offers through conversation and socializing with the girls.
A special motivation for the young participants was the presence of the football players from the Macedonian women's A national team, who participated in the activities with them and sent a strong message that with hard work, dedication and love for the game, the dream of wearing the national jersey is achievable.
This festival officially begins the series of events that will be organized throughout Macedonia in the coming period, with the aim of even greater popularization and development of women's football among the youngest.
