That is the expectation for the 2007 Women’s World Cup, as described by Worawi Makudi, Chairman of the FIFA Committee for Women’s football, at the opening Press Conference in Shanghai.
In the plush surroundings of the 6* Shangrila Hotel in Pudong, a quiet group of foreign and domestic journalists and photographers were treated to a professional yet underwhelming introduction to what is supposed to be the premier event in women’s football.
Along with Lilly Xue, head of the local organising committee, Makudi rattled off a series of statistics: the 25% increase in television coverage compared to 2003, the predictions of 25-30,000 spectators at most games, and again the breakdown of the newly instituted prize money.
Are they protesting a little too much or did they just have very little else to say? Every time it is claimed that prize money of $1m for the winners of an international football competition is incredibly special it only serves to highlight how little that sounds compared to even the smallest of the men’s competitions.
There were the same platitudes about encouraging grassroots participation and an impressive turn from Richard Bridle of UNICEF about their “Goals for Girls” campaign, but as always, few specific details on how the women’s game is to be taken even half as seriously as the men’s game. The limp defence of the patronising “Beautiful game beautiful girls” slogan was just another example of how see correction above FIFA has yet to really get a handle on how to genuinely promote the women’s game as being of its own intrinsic value.
Intrinsic value was very much the focus of Bridle’s 5 minute talk about UNICEF’s partnership with FIFA. As he noted, the aim of ensuring equality of opportunity for girls across the world is an especially important one to promote in China, whose 119 boys for every 100 girls is, as Bridle pointedly noted, “not a natural statistic”. He was also the only one to accurately and persuasively articulate specific developmental benefits of participation in sport – self esteem, social interaction, teamwork, fair play, tolerance, and, of course, healthy physical development.
Living legend of women’s football, Sun Wen, was quiet but proud. She refused to be drawn on predicting a winner, as did everyone on the panel, and was even more cagey about China’s chances, claiming not to know much about their preparations. She was much keener to talk about her wider role as FIFA Ambassador, especially impressed with a recent TV programme about girls playing football in Afghanistan.
There is undoubtedly a lot going on in promoting women’s football, the UNICEF campaign for “child-friendly” schools is worthy and solid, but it will need stronger events and more persuasive speakers than this little press conference to make a difference.
From Monday, we shall see whether this tournament can rise to the challenge laid down.
Posted by l 
Posted by l 