LAHORE - A group of 10 female Pakistani hockey players and two female coaches will leave for Washington this week to participate in the US State Department’s Empowering Women and Girls through Sports Initiative Program from June 17-27 which aimed to increase the number of women and girls involved in sports.
“These high school athletes will play field hockey with their American counterparts in Washington DC where they will work with their peers on developing teamwork, health, and leadership skills,” said Robert Raines, Deputy Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy.
“They will also travel to North Carolina to participate in field hockey clinics, activities on sports and disability rights, and community volunteerism at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro,” he said.
The selection of these female hockey players was made by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) that included girls from across the country with an emphasis on recruiting girls from rural areas with little access to such opportunities. This international sports exchange program builds on the US global commitment to advance the rights of women and girls around the world.
The US Embassy in Islamabad has sent several young female soccer and basketball players to the US in previous years. Their time in the United States will coincide with the 41st anniversary of Title IX, the landmark US law which afforded opportunity and equality for American women in sports and education. The lessons of Title IX will help young athletes increase the number of women and girls who participate in all aspects of sports worldwide.