By IANS,
Washington : Eighteen young female soccer players and two coaches from India and Pakistan begin a tour of the US Tuesday as part of a dual country soccer exchange to promote common interests through sports.
Throughout the 10-day programme, members of the delegation will share their experiences, learn about the US through the lens of sports, interact with young American athletes, and meet with US sports professionals.
The Sep 11-22 tour marks the third sports exchange with Pakistan and the fourth with India, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ Sports United Division announced Monday.
The programme will include a series of intensive soccer clinics, conflict resolution workshops, and sessions on disability sports.
The group will meet with officials from DC Parks and Recreation for a discussion on sports nutrition and training.
The DC United Women’s Team will host a clinic for the group and the team’s philanthropic organization, United for DC, will organize a volunteer activity.
The delegation will also visit ESPN in Washington, DC to learn about the sports media world.
Sports Visitors are youth and coaches who travel to the US for technical sports training, sports management, and conflict resolution training, the State Department said.
Sports Visitor programmes give young people an opportunity to discover how success in athletics can be translated into the development of life skills and achievement in the classroom, it said.
Since 2003, Sports United has brought over 1,000 athletes from over 60 countries to the US to participate in Sport Visitor programmes aimed at engaging youth worldwide.