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They traveled thousands of kilometers to reach Greece. They were victims of racism and discrimination, but with their stubbornness and their love of football they managed to follow their heart and chase, besides their dreams, a ball in stadiums around the world. These are the girls from Hestia FC, the first female refugee and migrant football team in the Balkans.
Hestia FC was created in March 2019 and just two months later managed to crown a European Champion in the Global Goals World Cup. It is a program of the International Olympic Truce Center under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens and the Migration Integration Council. The aim of the team is to protect, empower and integrate refugee and migrant women through football.
To date, around 40 women have been registered to the team from 14 different countries, from Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Cameroon, Congo, Tunisia, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Somalia etc.
"Hestia FC participated in the Global Goals World Cup in May 2019 and was crowned European Champion. In the finals that took place in September in New York, we took third place. In June we participated in the Festival of Football held during the Women's World Cup. There, with women's groups from all over the world, we achieved a Guiness Record! That of most nationalities that participated in a football tournament. In December we were nominated for one of the awards of the Monaco-based international organization Peace and Sport sponsored by Prince Albert. We didn't get it, but our player, 22-year-old Shakiba from Afghanistan, was selected as a Youth Ambassador and even predicted at the awards ceremony by Didier Drogba. Also in December, at the invitation of the UNHCR, we went to Geneva where we participated in the Global Refugee Forum at the United Nations headquarters. Great discrimination internationally and just 9 months after the group was founded. Our dream is to welcome, as I mentioned earlier, the Greek women, to continue to have a strong presence internationally and to host the first Global Goals World Cup in our country, where we will welcome women soccer teams from all over the world!"
22-year-old Shakiba from Afghanistan, was selected as a Youth Ambassador
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