The Canadian Football Federation is going through difficult times with the women’s team which is to represent Canada at the Women’s World Cup in Australia in July. The players are demanding parity with their male colleagues, who for the first time participated in the World Cup in Qatar in November. To reach an agreement, the organization appointed Charmaine Crooks for the first time a woman as its interim president, Wednesday, March 1, after the resignation of the leader of the federation.
With our correspondent in Quebec, Pascale Guericolas
For the first time in its history, a woman is now president of the Canadian Football Federation: Charmaine Crooks, already a member of the board of directors of this organization, enjoys a solid reputation for integrity in the sports world. A five-time Olympic medalist, including at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, she was the first Canadian to finish the 800-metre event in less than two minutes.
Two women elected to the highest offices of the Canada Soccer Council ?
Charmaine Crooks becomes Canada Soccer’s new president, the first woman and person of color to lead the organization, and Kelly Brown vice-president.
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— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerFR) March 1, 2023
It will take a lot of diplomacy to calm the anger of female football players : the latter denounce the lack of funding to prepare for the World Cup in Australia. In November, the team almost didn’t go to a training camp in Brazil due to lack of funding, but a private donor allowed them to go eventually. The players therefore want to have access to the accounts of their federation.
The organization will have to answer questions from Canadian parliamentarians at the end of the month. And as of next week, the representatives of the women’s team will also be in the parliamentary committee.