School leads call for women's team at next Olympics (From This Is Lancashire)

School leads call for women's team at next Olympics

2:50pm Friday 12th October 2012 in News

YOUNG footballers are flying the flag for Team GB’s women’s football team — and staging a campaign to get them to the next Olympics.

Year Six children at Devonshire Road Primary School in Heaton were dismayed to hear the women’s football team would not be competing at the Rio Games 2016 despite their amazing performance in this year’s London Olympics.

The men’s football team will not be entering a squad.

London 2012 was the first time a GB women’s team had competed in the Olympics and head coach Hope Powell is keen for them to do so again.

Pupils at Devonshire Road Primary also want a women’s team in the Rio Olympics and have written to President of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge, Lord Seb Coe, the Prime Minister David Cameron as well as launching a campaign in the social networking website, Twitter.

Jodie Hallett, aged 10, who is a school councillor, said: “The campaign is going fine as lots of people are replying and retweeting as they agree with us. We surveyed our parents and they thought that it was unfair too.

“Its not fair if they don’t compete because the girls were so good.”

Kian Parmar, aged 10, said: “We need something to change soon so girls’ football can be played in 2016.

We are waiting for replies from David Cameron, Lord Coe and Jacques Rogge.”

Jacob Cleworth- Reay, aged 10, said: “Eighty per cent of people surveyed in Britain believe that we should have a female team in Rio.”

The school runs a girls’ team as well as one for the boys Teacher Joanne Bladen-Kay said the campaign had been led by the class.

She added: “The pupils had watched women’s football and they have planned the campaign, who to write to and set up a Twitter account.

“Taking part in activities like this helps develop children as citizens, that they have a voice and are members of the community.

They have been amazing.”