The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) hosted the majority of its stakeholders for a two-day workshop focused on FIFA’s ongoing Women’s Football Strategy Programme, through which Sri Lanka would have the opportunity to develop its own plans for women’s football during the next four-year cycle. The FIFA Women’s Football Strategy Programme requires its member [...]
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The Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) hosted the majority of its stakeholders for a two-day workshop focused on FIFA’s ongoing Women’s Football Strategy Programme, through which Sri Lanka would have the opportunity to develop its own plans for women’s football during the next four-year cycle. The FIFA Women’s Football Strategy Programme requires its member associations to develop their own comprehensive women’s football strategies, with the vision of getting more female players involved in the sport.
The Women’s Football Strategy Programme requires a dedicated person responsible for women’s football to implement the project, with clarity on where the project sits within the member association’s structure. With that intention, FIFA invited its stakeholders, including coaches, match officials, administrators, players and other contributors, whose inputs would be key to developing the required strategy plan. Following the workshop and the feedback and inputs from participants and other stakeholders, FFSL will have to submit its own strategy plan to FIFA to officially obtain approval and funds, subject to ratification.
Among the key requirements of FIFA’s Women’s Football Strategy Programme are a clear plan or strategy and an enhanced state of play to build the necessary foundations. Through a clear plan and strategy, member associations must ensure that a clear strategy is in place for the development and growth of women’s football, with the purpose of enhancing the state of the women’s game by establishing targeted objectives, concrete actions and defined key performance indicators to achieve its goals. On the subject of ‘building the foundations’, member associations will be assisted by FIFA to map their women’s football ecosystem and determine their vision for the future of the game in their country.
“It was a great opportunity to gather all the main actors of the game during the two days and reflect and discuss the current situation, vision, key actions to be undertaken and the types of objectives to be implemented. Now FFSL has the opportunity to analyse the stakeholders’ feedback and finalise the strategy for the next four years,” Simon Toselli, FIFA’s Women’s Football Technical Expert and Consultant, said.
The two-day workshop, held at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel in Colombo, was conducted by FIFA educators Simon Toselli, FIFA Women’s Football Technical Expert and Consultant, and Pema Tshering, Head of Women’s Football, Bhutan, along with a few key local figures in sports administration, including Professor B.L.H. Perera, who leads strategic planning committees and conducts governance training, including for FFSL, and Deepika Colombage, a FIFA Standing Committee member.
“The strategy will be a stepping stone for what’s to come, and I’m really thankful to all stakeholders for their interactions and contributions. Once we publish the strategy, it will not only be a strategy from FFSL but rather a strategy for everyone in the women’s football ecosystem in Sri Lanka. I believe this will create a proper pathway for the growth and development of women’s football here,” noted Pema Tshering.
Through the Women’s Football Strategy Programme, FIFA expects to grow the game, get more girls involved, keep more women in the game and drive the empowerment of women. Sri Lanka is one of many FIFA member associations to have swiftly responded to the global body’s objective of creating a comprehensive development plan for women’s football.
“We successfully completed the workshop with contributions from experts of the game, stakeholders and other players in women’s football. It was a great opportunity for all of us to be part of this mission, which eventually became a success with the involvement and contribution of FIFA and FFSL. The main objective is to create a sustainable long-term plan and a workable short-term plan for women’s football in Sri Lanka with the assistance of FIFA,” Deepika Colombage, a FIFA Standing Committee member, said.
Weeks after the two-day workshop in Colombo, FFSL subsequently launched its inaugural Women’s League 2026/27 on October 24, which has attracted the attention of local football followers for its quality and exposure.
Print Edition – The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
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