Following the ATHENA transnational project meeting held in Breda, the Netherlands on the 27th of July, in which guidelines for setting walking football teams were presented, a new walking football team has been set up in Torino, Italy.
Gianluca Finazzi from the European minifootball Federation: “The presentations about walking football we saw in the ATHENA meetings opened our eyes in regard to the importance and potential of walking sports, and walking football in particular.” With the knowledge and toolset they acquired in the ATHENA project, the Italian minifootball federation together with local partners, set up team of 20 elderly walking football players trained by two instructors on a weekly basis. “We see every week the impotance and value of walking football for elderly people. Thanks to the ATHENA project we made this first step and plan to set up more teams next year.
ATHENA project, co-funded by the European Union, has the main aim to increase female participation in sport governance and administration and to present walking sports as a valuable health enhancing physical activity for elderly.