We*ll fight against synthetic pitches for world cup – Oparanozie

The former VFL Wolfsburg striker in a message to Fever Pitch yesterday added that she has also amended her signature to the list of professional footballers calling on the decision’s reversal saying anything order than natural grass isn’t befitting for the Mundial in North America.“I am in support of the players calling on FIFA to […]

The former VFL Wolfsburg striker in a message to Fever Pitch yesterday added that she has also amended her signature to the list of professional footballers calling on the decision’s reversal saying anything order than natural grass isn’t befitting for the Mundial in North America.
“I am in support of the players calling on FIFA to make sure next year’s World Cup is played on natural grass and I have added my name to the petition” the former Delta Queens player said.
In a released statement by the Women footballers for Natural grass in Canada, the players said the decision is disrespect to Women’s game in spite of its huge global followership “In 2012, the Women’s Gold Medal soccer match for the London Olympics was the NBC Sports Network’s most watched event in the network’s history with 4.35 million viewers. More people around the world live streamed the women’s final than any other sporting event during the Olympics.
And yet, still, professional women soccer players struggle to be given the respect they deserve. The latest insult to professional women soccer players comes with the decision by FIFA to hold the entire 2015 Women’s World Cup tournament on artificial turf. Artificial turf has been blamed for increased injuries on sporting fields, including more sprained ankles, concussions, turf burns, and an injury known as “turf toe.” Overheating is also a health concern for athletes since temperatures can be hotter on artificial surfaces than on natural grass. Finally, turf is widely known to alter the speed and quality of play on the field. With all of this in mind, it’s not hard to understand why many players feel that being forced to play their World Cup on artificial turf is gender discrimination.
Some of the best soccer players in the world deserve to play the most competitive matches of their lives on real grass. FIFA has the power to modify the venues for the World Cup games to fields with real grass. Do the right thing, FIFA, and give professional women soccer players the respect they deserve” the statement concluded.
The Women World Cup will hold in Canada from 5th June to 6th July next year and the falcons are expected to emerge as one of the top four teams that would represent Africa at the Mundial in next month’s AWC in Namibia.