"Bakunts" team of Goris, Syunik takes first place at GOALS tournament

YEREVAN—Following the final games of its 2021 National Tournament, Girls of Armenia Leadership Soccer (GOALS) NGO has announced that the young girls on the “Bakunts” team from Goris, Syunik won the National Cup.

“Bakunts” went head to head with girls from the region of Anoushavan and Shirak on Saturday at Pyunik Stadium. Competing for third place were teams from Alaverdi, Lori region and Areni, Vayots Dzor region. “Bakunts” took the win, 4-0.

The GOALS National Tournament is the most anticipated event of the year for beneficiaries and teams, during which winning teams of regional leagues come together to play for the National Cup. Players from the Women’s National Team joined the girls for warm-up activities on Saturday. The soccer players are role models for the young girls.

“It is our intention to encourage the development of team sports in regional Armenia, to enable the engagement of girls in sports and break stereotypes along the way,” said GOALS NGO president Teny Avakian. “We are very proud that today, over 900 girls participate in GOALS activities across the country.”

By using sport for social impact, GOALS aims to equip youth with confidence and resilience to face and resolve challenges both on and off the field.

GOALS programming and the 2021 National Tournament could not have been possible without its champions. The organization extends its gratitude to COAF, Paros Foundation, the Football Federation of Armenia, Aurora Foundation, Noravank SC, Pyunik FC, Gary and Linda Assarian and board members for their generosity.

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Girls of Armenia Leadership Soccer

Girls of Armenia Leadership Soccer (GOALS) is a non-profit, non- governmental organization operating in Armenia since 2016. It is the only sports organization in Armenia promoting gender equality through sports- primarily in rural Armenia- and is dedicated to empowering girls and young women across Armenia by promoting health, life and leadership skills through their participation in an all-female soccer league. GOALS’ Theory of Change is rooted in the philosophy that sport can be used as a vehicle for transforming society and expanding the possibilities of its participants. The Theory of Change can be summarized into three core activities: (1) creating safe spaces for young women and children to participate in sport, (2) educating communities and challenging existing stereotypes through sport for social impact curriculum, and (3) fostering strong partnerships with local institutions to lay a sustainable framework for our activities. GOALS provides the infrastructure, coaches, equipment and resources to create girls’ soccer leagues in rural communities across Armenia. Currently over 900 girls from 90 communities participate in the organization’s activities.