Georgia Soccer Forum
Women’s soccer
Despite the success of women’s soccer in Georgia, there are still many obstacles. The first obstacle is the lack of clubs. In 1999, there was only one female team, but the country didn’t have clubs that were qualified to compete in the championship. There were also financial problems. As a result, the country did not qualify for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Since then, there has been a rapid increase in participation and sponsorship. But, the problem still lies in promoting the sport. Many girls and women still view soccer as a game for boys. However, with the advent of FIFA Women’s World Cup, the reputation of the sport is starting to grow.
Elene Raukh is a 16-year-old defender who plays for the national team. She dreams of playing in Spain. She trains with the Tbilisi team and has traveled extensively in Europe. She wants to inspire other girls with her passion for soccer. She has also received support from UN Women.
Georgia will host the UEFA Under-19 women’s championship in 2020. The country will host seven teams in the finals in July. The federation has to provide four stadiums, including one in Tbilisi, that meet international standards. It also has to provide eight ad hoc facilities for guest teams. The federation has also been required to increase the amount of funding it gives to female soccer clubs. However, they are still financially challenged. The president of the federation, Nino Sordia, is aware of the financial difficulties faced by clubs. He has given them 10,000 lari to avoid falling behind.
A new organization, the Women’s Football Development and Support Fund, was launched to help improve the level of women’s soccer in Georgia. The foundation’s core funding comes from private donations. In addition, the federation has received backing from Tbilisi municipality. The funds will help to develop the sport and recruit future student athletes.
The Georgian women’s national football team played its first international match against Serbia in 1999. Since then, the country has only qualified for one tournament, the European Championship in 2009. The team has been part of the 1999 and 2009 qualification groups. The team has also played two games against Turkey and Yugoslavia. After the matches, the team withdrew. In 2010, the federation created a training base in Lagodekhi, an eastern region of Georgia. There are currently nine female coaches working for the team on a voluntary basis. The federation has also been working on the development of referees. Last year, the federation launched an academy for referees. It has seven women in its first cohort.
Georgia’s women’s soccer team plays at a training base located in Lagodekhi, an eastern region. The team trains at the facility with the male national team. It has not received its own stadium yet, but it has borrowed the stadium from other clubs in Tbilisi. The team has also been trained in a garage, where a rusty door and a change room are available. The team trains with boys often, but the players wait for instructions from their trainer.
