Libyan girls challenge tradition by playing soccer

The 13-year-old Sama Paddy believes she has the ability, the talent to qualify for a national football team in the future, but she has a long and arduous road to improve. 

Sama Badi is one of 30 women trained in a girls' football academy in Tripoli, Libya, where they learn the basics of the soccer sport. 

"I chose football because it's for boys but from time to time we play in a school district, they say girls are not imposed," said the girl, wearing a white shirt for football. But it is for everyone abroad, all of them are playing in. 

Since its opening just one month ago, coaches at the Touati Academy have been against the tide and are facing difficulties in a country where men dominate activities in public and open spaces. The academy, whose founders say it is the first of its kind in Libya, brought the girls through advertisements in schools in Tripoli. The founders say the academy aims to promote and support women's talent in sports. 

But the idea was not dispensed with as soon as the organizers posted pictures of the girls online during soccer training. 

The practice of this sport, which is masculine and the wearing of shorts, contradicts the conservative behavior of the Libyan society. The girls themselves left these problems. 

"Of course, we are the Libyan society, a conservative society. The first thing that brought down pictures of emerging players, of course, was the (negative) comments and comments, and all of them are negatives," says the soccer coach. "We are, however, challenging these difficulties and being better. I hope that the Libyan society will be responsive to these young girls so that the clothes will be dressed as decent as they are wearing shorts under the pants... All the Arab countries have teams of women from the youth and middle cubes senior except Libya. Encouraging parents is an important factor. Mothers continue to attend training and encourage their daughters. 

The Libyan national women's team was formed in 1997. The team is not recognized by the FIFA. It is difficult for professional football players to practice sport freely in Libya. Its activities have been halted several times since the outbreak of the intifada in 2011.

Video : Libya's women footballers struggle on and off pitch