The Canadian Football Association announced on Friday the appointment of Alison Walker, a former official in the Local Olympic Committee, as its Secretary-General, becoming the first woman to hold this position.
The federation, which entered into a dispute with the men’s and women’s national teams, explained that it considered 200 candidates over the course of a four-month search process, and that Walker will officially assume her position on January 22.
In turn, Walker said in a statement: “I am committed to promoting growth in all aspects of the game and ensuring a safe and fair environment for athletes to play and compete.”
She added: “I look forward to cooperating with our players, teams, coaches and partners to build on the current foundations of the sport, and raise the status of the Canadian Football Association to unprecedented levels.”
Jason Devos, former captain of the Canadian men’s national team, has been in charge temporarily since last April, a week after Earl Cochrane left the position.
Disagreements and protests
Cochrane was the latest prominent official to leave the Canadian Federation in light of a long-standing dispute between the men’s and women’s national teams. Nick Pontis also stepped down as president of the Canadian Federation in February, and acknowledged that change was necessary to resolve the differences between the men’s and women’s national teams.
Last February, the Canadian Football Association faced a strike threat from female national team players who demanded better wages. The crisis knocked on the door of the Canadian Parliament, which held sessions during which it heard female players.
The Federation later decided to collect the income resulting from participation in the World Cups, and distribute it equally between the two teams. Last March, he announced a preliminary agreement to finance the women’s national team, hoping to put an end to accusations of gender inequality that led to the crisis and departure of federation president Nick Pontis.
After winning the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021, the Canadian women’s team collapsed in the last World Cup, which Australia hosted in partnership with New Zealand during the summer, and was eliminated from the first round after a heavy defeat by Australia, with a score of 4-0.
2023-12-23 09:47:54
#time #history. #woman #holds #position #Secretary #General #Football #Association #Canada #Arab
