In April, the first-ever international girls’ competition was held at the Education City Stadium in Qatar thanks to the joint efforts of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Qatar Foundation (QF).
Twenty teams representing over 200 girls born between 2009 and 2011 from each of the six GCC countries—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates—participated in what was deemed to be the largest girls football competition ever held in the Gulf Region.
The Qatar Foundation Headquarters (QF) hosted an educational visit to start off the Junior Premier League GCC Warriors Cup Qatar (JPL GCC). Teams received insightful information about the mission, strategic vision, and values of QF. Teams also had the perfect opportunity to snap photos of the Doha Skyline, which provided the excellent background, during their stay.
Prominent academies vying for the “GCC Warriors Title” included Southampton, Manchester City, Juventus, and Manchester.
In an exciting penalty shootout match, the 2011 PSG Academy Qatar team defeated Juventus Oman to win the Trophy event Final.
The 2009 PSG Academy squad’s Rasha Mahfoud took home the title of best goalkeeper in the competition.
The JPL is a player development league that prioritizes innovation to make sure each player has access to first-rate football experiences. Expectations were exceeded by the Warriors Cup Qatar, which was the first formal football competition for several nations.
“For the Gulf, holding this competition at a World Cup stadium was a historic occasion. We are grateful to Qatar Foundation and Paris Saint-Germain for making this possible. “We anticipate many more to come,” adds Martin Brock, CEO of JPL.
Didier Domi, Technical Advisor: “Our goal is to give women more influence in sports.” To spark their enthusiasm, you must provide them with the resources and spaces they need. We believe that the younger generation has been inspired by the JPL GCC, which is a positive move in the right direction.
As the 2023–2024 season draws to a close, Paris Saint-Germain is still looking for calculated ways to advance women’s sports in the GCC.