The rhythm of soccer has been ingrained in Cedella Marley’s soul since childhood, because of her father, the legendary reggae icon Bob Marley, who shared an equal ardour for the gorgeous sport.
In a heartwarming interview with CNN Sport, Marley reminisced about her father’s unwavering love for soccer, revealing that had he not pursued a profession in music, he would have donned the jersey of a soccer participant.
“Daddy played every day,” Marley fondly recalled. “He would play anywhere he was: on the road, you’d find a field, you’d find a team.”
Inspired by her father’s devotion to the game, Marley and her brothers, Ziggy and Steve, indulged in soccer alongside him, instilling an timeless love for the sport in her coronary heart.
Little did she know that her future could be intertwined with soccer in a profound approach, main her to turn into a driving power behind Jamaica’s girls’s soccer revolution.
In 2014, destiny nudged Marley towards an surprising journey into the world of ladies’s soccer.
Her son introduced dwelling a flier from faculty, informing her about Jamaica’s girls’s soccer crew.
Surprised by the revelation, Marley discovered that the crew had disbanded in 2008 attributable to monetary constraints.
Determined to reignite the flame of ladies’s soccer in her homeland, Marley sprang into motion, reaching out to the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) to supply her assist.
The challenges going through the ladies’s nationwide crew have been immense, with each facet, from journey to coaching camps, in dire want of funding.
Drawing upon her musical prowess, Marley, alongside along with her brothers, Damien and Steve, recorded a track known as “Strike Hard” to boost funds.
Through a mix of the track’s royalties, a GoFundMe marketing campaign, and the Bob Marley Foundation’s sponsorship, they raised $300,000 within the first 12 months.
Marley’s relentless efforts and dedication bore fruit in 2019 when Jamaica’s girls’s nationwide crew achieved a historic feat by turning into the primary Caribbean nation to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
Beyond simply uplifting the crew’s requirements, Marley’s work additionally reworked the nation’s notion of ladies’s soccer, debunking age-old stereotypes and creating newfound respect for the feminine athletes.
Speaking from the pre-World Cup coaching camp in Amsterdam, Marley praised the services and the crew’s hyper-focused mindset.
With skilled gamers and a number of skills, together with Manchester City striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Jamaica search to surpass its efficiency within the earlier World Cup.
While Marley’s efforts have earned her immense admiration, she is equally keen about her initiative, “Football is Freedom.”
Inspired by her father’s well-known quote, Marley’s initiative goals to empower women by offering them with life expertise, mentorship, and alternatives for larger training via soccer.
The affect of this initiative has been transformative, providing a approach out for women residing in difficult circumstances in Jamaica.
The success of “Football is Freedom” has attracted partnerships with Adidas and Common Goal, enabling these gifted women to unleash their full potential, not simply on the pitch but additionally of their houses and communities.
Jamaica’s inspiring performances on the Women’s World Cup have amplified the affect of Marley’s work, as they secured a historic draw towards Brazil, qualifying for the knockout stage for the primary time.
These “Reggae Girlz” are rewriting historical past, proving that with correct assist and perception, alternatives can remodel lives.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
