Latest news with #FemaleAthletes
Arab News
09-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Winners announced for ‘She's Next in Football' program
Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has announced the winners of the inaugural 'She's Next in Football' program in Saudi Arabia, held in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank and AC Milan Women. The initiative spotlights the Kingdom's most promising women footballers and marks a major step in advancing female talent in sports through mentorship, professional training, and international exposure. Fatima Alsenan was named the overall winner and will travel to Milan for a two-week 'Training with the PRO' experience at the PUMA House of Football, training alongside AC Milan Women's professional players and coaches. Zainab Alhomidi secured the runner-up position and will enjoy an exclusive VIP visit to AC Milan's training grounds. Finalists were evaluated based on their football skills, leadership potential, and dedication to the game. The judging panel included representatives from Visa, SAB, and Saudi football icon Farah Jefry, who also serves as the program's ambassador. 'Programs like She's Next in Football show us what's possible when ambition, talent, and opportunity come together. What sets these young women apart isn't just what they do. It's how they think with resilience, focus, and a willingness to grow. That mindset is exactly what She's Next is all about. Through partnerships with SAB and AC Milan Women, we're not just creating opportunities, but building ecosystems that empower women to lead, inspire, and shape their communities. It's a model that works across sectors, and one we're proud to champion as part of Saudi Arabia's inclusive growth journey,' said Ali Bailoun, Visa's regional general manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman. Lama Ghazzaoui, chief financial officer at SAB, said: 'When women are given meaningful access to opportunity they rise, not only as athletes but as changemakers.' This partnership is about more than football, it is about creating a space for growth, confidence and ambition to take root. As the chair of BALANCE, SAB's employee diversity program, we strive to promote gender diversity in the workplace and the marketplace. We are also dedicated to contributing to a more inclusive future for sports in the Kingdom by supporting initiatives that expand opportunities for training, mentoring, and developing female talent, ultimately transforming it into professional capabilities.' Elisabet Spina, AC Milan head of women football, said: 'At AC Milan, in collaboration with SAB and Visa, we are proud to support these young women and accompany them on their journey of growth, both on and off the pitch. We are very pleased to welcome Fatima Alsenan to the PUMA House of Football, where she will begin a high-level growth journey within a club whose prestige is globally recognized, and in close contact with top-tier professionals.'
CBS News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
University of Pennsylvania agrees to ban transgender athletes in agreement with federal government
The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to ban transgender athletes, resolving the civil rights case sparked by swimmer Lia Thomas, the Department of Education said Tuesday. Penn agreed to a number of "action items" to resolve what the department calls Title IX violations, the Education Department said in a statement. Those items include restoring "to female athletes all individual UPenn Division I swimming records, titles, or similar recognitions which were misappropriated by male athletes allowed to compete in female categories;" issuing a public statement saying the university will comply with Title IX and will not "allow males to compete in female athletic programs;" and sending a "personalized letter of apology" to any female swimmers who were affected. CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to the University of Pennsylvania for comment. CBS News Philadelphia is working to connect with Thomas for a statement or an interview. Penn posted a statement on its website Tuesday that said, in part, that the school "will comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 … as interpreted by the Department of Education, in all of its athletics programs." The statement also said Penn Athletics locker rooms and bathrooms will be "strictly separated on the basis of sex and comparably provided to each sex." That post appears to be the public statement required in the agreement with the Education Department. Penn also said in a separate statement attributed to University President J. Larry Jameson that the agreement "brought to a close an investigation that, if unresolved, could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania." Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement, "Today's resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the Trump effect in action. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, UPenn has agreed both to apologize for its past Title IX violations and to ensure that women's sports are protected at the University for future generations of female athletes." McMahon continued, "Today is a great victory for women and girls not only at the University of Pennsylvania, but all across our nation. The Department commends UPenn for rectifying its past harms against women and girls, and we will continue to fight relentlessly to restore Title IX's proper application and enforce it to the fullest extent of the law." Before this agreement, the Trump administration said Penn violated Title IX, the law that guarantees women equal opportunities in university athletics, by allowing Thomas to compete on the women's swim team and use team facilities. Penn's statement about the agreement also said the school "has always followed – and continues to follow – Title IX and the applicable policy of the NCAA regarding transgender athletes. NCAA eligibility rules changed in February 2025 with Executive Orders 14168 and 14201 and Penn will continue to adhere to these new rules." Thomas racked up notable achievements in Division I women's swimming in the 2022 NCAA season, coming in first in the 500-meter freestyle at the Swimming and Diving Championships that year. She had other first-place finishes in events at the Ivy League Championships held that year at Harvard's Blodgett Pool. Before she began transitioning in 2019, Thomas competed on the men's swimming team and followed NCAA and Ivy League rules for the process. Thomas had support from the Ivy League and Penn at the time, along with several teammates. But other athletes penned an anonymous letter asking the NCAA to bar Thomas from competing on the women's team. Penn's statement explaining the agreement with the Education Department said the school complied with NCAA rules regarding athlete eligibility in the 2021-2022 swim season, but also said, "We acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules. We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time." School officials will review school records from that time and indicate who will hold the records under the new rules.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Claressa Shields Breaks Silence on Angel Reese, BET Awards Controversy
Claressa Shields Breaks Silence on Angel Reese, BET Awards Controversy originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese won the BET Sportswomen of the Year Award, Claressa Shields posted on X that she thought she should have won the award. Advertisement "Still don't know how I didn't win the Sportswoman of the Year for the BET Awards, but Congrats to Angel Reese and all the other nominees,' Shields posted on X. "I just thought accolades mattered." Reese fans thought Shields was hating on the Sky All-Star, so she posted a follow-up. 'I'm not joining in on any hate train when it comes to Angel Reese," Shields said. "I have mad respect for her and all the other female athletes that excel in their sport. "As for my earlier comments, I am allowed to express my feelings. I was shocked I didn't win. I was under the impression the category was graded on accolades of your sport. It's OK to be a competitor.' Claressa Shields is a fan of Angel Reese. © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Shields did her first interview since the BET Awards controversy with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson. The talented boxer said she is a fan of Reese and wasn't "angry" after she didn't win the BET Sportswomen of the Year Award. Advertisement 'I wasn't angry," Shields said. "I do feel like it was a nice batch of girls that were nominated, but I still felt that I had more accomplishments as far as my longevity. So that's all it was about. "It wasn't anything against Angel, and I hate that they're trying to pit me against her. I'm a fan of Angel Reese. She's young, she's hungry, and I see her wanting to get better. Honestly, I don't know who gets more hate—me or her.' Reese is averaging 10.1 points and 12.1 rebounds this season while shooting 35.8% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 67.7% from the free-throw line. Shields, who is rooting for Reese, wants the WNBA forward to keep working and getting better at her craft. Advertisement 'Keep working. Keep getting better. You feel me? That's my advice to her because when you win, that's all that matters, for real," Shields said. Related: Angel Reese Sends Hilarious Eight-Word Message to Unrivaled Teammate on Thursday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
