When Ayah Abduldaim moved, aged 11, from Libya in north Africa to Cardiff, she brought happy memories of playing football. Although she spoke hardly any English, she could communicate with her classmates through sport, especially football, which she had played with her male cousins in Libya. Now, a few years later, Abduldaim has won an award for encouraging girls from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities (BAME) to play the sport. She started a “girls only” training session in Cardiff, where girls can wear whatever they want, including Islamic dress such as headscarves. “In my community, girls don’t come to stuff if parents don’t know who is involved,” said Abduldaim. “They come to my sessions because I’m a familiar face.”…
