Hope Powell wants London 2012 to create lasting legacy for women's football.
Hope Powell today spoke of her desire for London 2012 to create a lasting legacy for women’s football.
The Team GB Women’s Head Coach believes this year’s Olympic Games will give the women’s game the oxygen to grow both in terms of profile and participation, particularly because her side’s opening group match will be the first event of the entire Games, at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday 25 July.
“We are the first event and we’ve really got to take that opportunity to raise the profile of the women’s game and generally [for] the whole Olympics to leave a fantastic legacy for women’s football in this country,” she told FATV.
“We’ll have certain objectives. Obviously the football is the main [one], but around it, it’s about the legacy, it’s about increasing participation, increasing awareness and galvanising support for the women’s game. If we can do that and get some real positives as a result of being in the Olympics, that would be fantastic.”
Powell has contacted players from all four Home Nations and has a full pool of players to choose from.
“Nobody’s pulled out so that’s a good start,” she said. “The challenge will be when it comes down to final selection. Players have to be fit and healthy and it will be about those players that are performing. That’s going to be the challenge because I’m sure everybody wants to play, and why wouldn’t they? It’s an Olympic Games.
“If you talk to the female footballers in America, [the Olympics] is the pinnacle. The Olympics is bigger than the World Cup for them.”
Watch the full interview with Powell now by clicking on the play button in the media gallery above
