Footballer aims to get Muslim girls into sport

A 23-year-old woman with a passion for football is hoping to give the boot to cultural barriers that make it harder for refugee and Muslim girls to get into sport.

Fatema Baratyan played for the Afghanistan women's national team but fled the country after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

She resettled in Peterborough and will be running free futsal sessions for girls aged between 12 and 14 in the city.

"I know what it feels like to be scared, to be alone, to have your future taken away," she said.

"But I also know what football can give back — strength, joy, friendship. I want other girls like me to feel that too."

Ms Baraytan said she was trapped in Pakistan with her family - having fled the Taliban - before they could make the journey to the UK.

"I remember the fear," she recalled.

"We weren't safe. We had to hide. We couldn't even leave the house freely anymore."

Like hundreds of thousands of Afghans, members of the women's national football team tried to escape after the capital Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Women's rights in Afghanistan have been severely restricted since the takeover, and they are banned from competitive sports.

With the help of the Northamptonshire FA, Netherton United FC and non-profit Girl Power, Ms Baraytan is running her indoor futsal programme at the Focus Centre in Peterborough.

The programme - called Girl Power Peterborough Squad - will be led entirely by women and aims to offer a safe and welcoming space for young girls.

Ms Baraytan is a PE teacher and plays at Netherton United FC.

The scheme kicks off on Monday.

Futsal is a form of football, typically played with five players per team on a flat, hard court indoors, and with hockey-sized goals.

A futsal ball is usually harder and less bouncy - but the game can ultimately be played with a regular ball.

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