Kolkata, March 24 : All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) have joined hands to host a two-day workshop in Kolkata for women officials here on Friday. A first of its kind, the RFYS-AIFF Women Match Official Workshop has over 30 female officials, gaining key on-field and classroom training across the two days, by AIFF Officials. The referees participating in the workshop are registered under the AIFF from six different centres Shillong, Kolkata, Jamshedpur, Aizawal, Hyderabad and Kharagpur. The workshop is being led by Trevor Kettle (Chief Refereeing Officer) and Maria Rebello (Course Director & Referees Committee Member) on behalf of the AIFF. AIFF Chief Refereeing Officer, Trevor Kettle said, "RFYS, beyond players and coaches, fully recognises the positive contribution that referees bring to the game of football. RFYS's forward-thinking attitude and inclusiveness have provided exciting opportunities for aspiring female referees across several competitions and the country. "AIFF's Referee Department, in partnership with RFYS, is delighted to provide those dedicated female match officials with an opportunity to upskill and receive training reserved for Professional Match Officials. The future for female referees is bright and the federation feels that women match officials with ambition, drive and dedication will operate at the professional level in the coming years." Reliance Foundation has worked extensively towards the growth of women in football by providing them with multiple opportunities to showcase their talent. While the 2022-23 season of the RFYS Football Championship saw massive participation from young girls across the country, what stood out was the numerous female coaches, match officials and team staff as part of the tournament. /IANS