Uefa has identified the Malta Football Association’s ongoing drive to promote women’s football as a best-practice example.
A team from Uefa’s media and communications department was in Malta last month to film a training session of the MFA Girls Academy at the Mtarfa ground and an Under-13 festival in Għargħur.
Its report on Malta is today the top story on the website www.uefa.org, also by way of marking International Women's Day.
Martina, 12, shared her story on how she was selected to form part of the girls’ academy, alongside 50 promising young players who train on a weekly basis.
“Last summer, we had a summer camp organised by the MFA women’s national academy; I had the trials and I got chosen by our coaches, and that’s where I started my career as a football player.”
Martina continued: “Football helps me to feel confident, because it shows that we are able to speak up because women are equal to men, and there isn’t any difference.”