Event introducing Manx women's football aims to increase participation

To increase interest in the sport, women's soccer and women's soccer will be showcased at an event to be held at the island's national stadium.

Former England player and current Liverpool FC women's ambassador Natasha Dowie will be the guest of honor at Wednesday's event at the Bowl in Douglas.

Organized by the Isle of Man Football Association (IOMFA), the competition will feature local clubs as well as the women's national team.

IOMFA's Vicky Hotchkiss said it was part of an effort to get more women involved in “all aspects of the sport”.

The event will be held ahead of International Women's Day on Friday and will be organized around this year's theme, “Inspiring Inclusion,” she said.

Ms Hotchkiss, non-executive director of IOMFA, said the event was the first of its kind on the island and would “feature an evening of fun events aimed at introducing football to the whole community”.

This initiative is part of IOMFA's next four-year strategy to promote women's sports.

Ms Hotchkiss said that while there was a high level of participation in the men's game, there was “much more that could be done” to grow the women's game.

National women's team captain Becky Korkisch said the team is “really looking forward to this event.”

“This is a great way to encourage more girls and women to get involved in football and I really hope this will help grow the game,” she said.

IOMFA CEO Luis Quartro said this would be “an important milestone in our journey to make football accessible to everyone”.

He added that the association is “determined to ensure that everyone in our community feels welcome and able to participate in our sport, whatever level they choose.”

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