The National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) is an annual day of observance held during the first week of February to acknowledge the accomplishments of female athletes, recognize the influence of sports participation for women and girls, and honor the progress and continuing struggle for equality for women in sports.
NGWSD was originally initiated in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her achievements and work for equality.
For the past many years a lot of women have written their names in the record book of sports by providing an outstanding performance.
2021 was a great year for Barcelona super star Alexis Putellas,as she was crowned as The Best FIFA Women’ player for 2021.
Ballon d’Or winner Putellas captained Barcelona to the treble of Spanish League, Champions League and Copa de la Reina.
Putellas held off competition from Sam Kerr and Jennifer Hermoso in the final to win the prestigious award.
She was part of the first team in the history of the club to win the UEFA Womens Champions League. She also went down in football history by winning the first treble in club history.
This shows that female athletes aren’t just strong; they’re powerful. They smash barriers. They fight, tooth and nail, for equality. They transcend sports to become cultural game changers.
This day also recognize other women athletes,mentioning the likes of Serena Williams: Is there anything she can’t do? Among the 38-year-old’s box achievements are 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with sister Venus, and four Olympic gold medals.
In December, the Associated Press named her the Female Athlete of the Decade, writing, “Serena Williams dominated the decade, on the court and in conversation.”
The world of women football has also witnessed Alex Morgan, the star is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of U.S. soccer, forward Alex Morgan is an unstoppable force both on and off the field. During the 2019 FIFA Women’s Soccer World Cup, Morgan netted a record-breaking five goals in a single game; ignited the internet with her post-goal tea sipping; and stood up to critics who deemed her celebrations “disrespectful.”
But the 30-year-old’s fight for parity goes much further. Last March, when the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation over allegations of gender discrimination, Morgan’s name was the first one of 28 listed on the suit. “We’re very grateful for what we have, but we’re definitely demanding what we deserve,” the star forward previously told Glamour. “My hope is that the next generation will be able to have total equality.
African women are not left out in trademarking their identity in football. Prolific women like Asisat Oshoala who has won the African Women’s Player of the Year award twice.
She stands head-and-shoulders above the competition in Africa, completely living up to the high expectations fans had for her career during her early years of playing the sport.
Her technical skills put her in a category all of her own when compared with her competitors.
The BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year award which she won recently, earned her a switch to Chinese side Dalian Quanjian.
The success of women football in Africa saw the rise of Esse Mbeyu Akida of Kenya.
When chatter turns to the greatest female strikers in Africa, Esse Akida is one of the first names to pop into most peoples’ heads.
At only 8 years of age, the African star was already well on her way to developing the gifts that would allow her to become a regular on the Kenyan national team after she joined in 2016.
The Spedag FC star had also carried the Harambee Starlets all the way to the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, coming out as the highest scorer at the COTIF women’s tournament in Spain and claiming the golden boot for her performance in the 2016 Cecafa Women’s tournament.
Despite the fact that women have been marginalized all over the globe,still they stand on their feet coming up with triumph and success in the world of sport. The hardships and accomplishments that girls and women face every day is acknowledged and honored in sport and every other aspect of life on this day.
