By Fatima Halloum
Wyndham has been announced as one of 14 municipalities to host a Women’s World Cup team when the tournament kicks off in Australia and New Zealand next year.
FIFA said players from the Moroccan women’s team will live locally, and will use Galvin Park as their dedicated team base camp when the competition runs from July 20 to August 20.
Committee for Wyndham chief executive Barbara McLure encouraged the community to embrace the good news she believes to be absolutely terrific.
“It’s another way to put Wyndham on the map, with a whole different group of people,” she said.
“From our point of view particularly as a follow on from the men’s world cup, there’s a lot of excitement, and I think that excitement will carry over next year.
“It’s very exciting for our community to have a world cup team in Wyndham.”
FIFA also announced it would invest $227,000 to install international standard LED lighting on the main pitch at Galvin Park, as part of the FIFA Training Site Infrastructure Grant.
Wyndham council said it was excited FIFA had selected a “premier football facility” to use as a training ground.
“We look forward to cheering the Morocco women’s national football team on, during the largest women’s sporting event on the planet, that showcases our region on a global stage,” mayor Susan McIntyre said.
“Our city is vibrant and diverse with more than 50 per cent of our residents born overseas coming from more than 160 different countries, we’re passionate about football and have the honour of being called home by Australia’s newest A-League Club, Western United FC.”
Ms McLure said she hopes the players will have the opportunity to travel within Wyndham and integrate into the community.
“[I hope] young women, and young people that live here who are into soccer, hopefully we can take them along to matches, or get them [the players] to meet some of the young people,” she said.
