Parliamentarians have congratulated the Junior Starlets for qualifying for the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in the Dominican Republic from October 16th to November 3rd this year.The Junior Starlets qualified for the World Cup after defeating Burundi 2-0 on Sunday at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, courtesy of first-half goals from Marion Serenge and Valarie Nekesa, completing a 5-0 aggregate win in the fourth round of the World Cup qualifiers.##NAJAVA_MECA_8161499##Speaking after watching the Junior Starlets triumph against Burundi, nominated member of the National Assembly Irene “Renee” Mayaka, an ardent local football fan, and Nairobi County Women Representative Esther Passaris expressed their pride and support both individually and on behalf of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA). They also announced that the Junior Starlets would be invited to Parliament by KEWOPA.“As a female legislator, I am happy that the girls are the ones who have taken Kenya to the World Cup for the first time. I am very proud of the girls. They have always shown their technical ability, and today’s game has shown that they are really ready for the World Cup. I just want to wish them well,” said Mayaka.”We are greedy here”: Gor Mahia’s season not done yet despite wrapping up title“We are organizing a dinner for them in Parliament so that they can know that we are supportive of them as KEWOPA,” she added.The nominated MP also lauded the existing football structures and predicted a bright future for the Harambee Starlets. “We seem to now have a transitional team into the senior team. Once these girls mature and grow, we are sure of having a consistent and strong senior team.”Her sentiments were echoed by Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris, who said the win will motivate other girls to venture into football. “This is quite an achievement. The sky is the limit, and so we have to nurture and support them. I will personally follow up on the ones from Nairobi,” said Passaris.“This win will also give other girls a chance to feel motivated and take football seriously. The country at large is supportive of gender equality across the board,” she added.The Junior Starlets continue to receive messages of goodwill and support from different stakeholders as they celebrate and embark on World Cup preparations.Kenya to seek provisional license for Nyayo Stadium for AFCON qualifiers
