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Inspire Cup launched by Anantapur Sports Academy and La Liga hopes to break gender stereotypes

The Inspire Cup is the result of the efforts to create a quality pan-India platform for girls to compete, gain exposure, showcase their skills while breaking gender stereotypes and gaining in confidence.

Inspire Cup

Bengaluru, July 7: Rural Development Trust's Sport for Development sector Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA), in partnership with La Liga, through its Foundation and its Women's Football department (Spain), is organising the first edition of Inspire Cup, a football tournament for girls in the age group of Under-16, which got under way at the Anantapur Sports Village in Ananthapuramu from July 5.

The Inspire Cup is the result of the efforts to create a quality pan-India platform for girls to compete, gain exposure, showcase their skills while breaking gender stereotypes and gaining in confidence.

In the inuagural edition of Insipre Cup which will conlclude on July 9, five teams from various clubs, representing different Indian states are competing.

Anantapur Rural Football League final kicks off with La Liga supportAnantapur Rural Football League final kicks off with La Liga support

The tournament will act as competitive exposure and an opportunity for girls from rural areas of Ananthapuramu and Sri Sathya Sai Districts (Andhra Pradesh) and other parts of India to be scouted for different girls' football academies.

The tournament is being conducted in a round-robin-league-and-knockout format and is featuring 80 players from five teams.

RDT- ASA believes that the Inspire Cup will fill the gap of the lack of good competitive platforms for U-16 girls in football, and the tournament will encourage many girls to pursue football.

Gajwal FC - Telangana, YSR Sports School team - Kadapa, Life Sports FC - Chennai,
Compassion FC - Goa, and ASA Girls Team - Anantapur are the teams participating in the tournament.

Talking about the tournament, RDT Sport for Development Sector Director, Sai Krishna Pulluru said, "We at RDT-ASA believe that sport is a leveller, and that the Inspire Cup is the need of the hour, as not many national level avenues are available for girls to showcase their skills, compete and learn. With the collaboration with La Liga, through its Foundation and its Women's Football department, we're making strides in promoting football in rural India.

"As the U-17 Women's Football World Cup is around the corner, we believe this tournament will give a good push to football in general and in rural India in particular. Through this first edition and the future editions, we hope to see talent from various parts of the country, comedown to Ananthapuramu and enjoy the sport."

ASA Academy Manager Vamshi Orinagnti shared his views, "The Inspire Cup is going to be a celebration of sport. We're seeing five teams competing against each other while children from our community football clubs cheer them. This sort of platform is much needed in India to promote girls in football and reap its benefits. We're excited to host this first edition and see girls come forward to play and shine," said Origanti, who is also the chief organiser of the Inspire Cup.

International Women's Day: La Liga Foundation spreads the message of gender equality International Women's Day: La Liga Foundation spreads the message of gender equality

The partnership between RDT and La Liga, through its Foundation and its Women's Football department, started in 2018-19 to provide equitable sopportunities for boys and girls from rural communities in Anantapur District to access their fundamental 'Right: To Play' and create equal learning opportunities for both the boys and girls to develop holistically through football.

In 2021-22, the RDT - La Liga partnership created access to 2,556 children to play football through residential and grassroots programs.

The growing football culture in the district due to the collaboration resulted in the setting up the first girls' residential football academy in the district.

Story first published: Thursday, July 7, 2022, 12:02 [IST]
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