by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 6, 2023
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) has announced the appointment of its own Ms. Yashmin Juan as a Media Officer for the prestigious 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Juan’s dedication and expertise have earned her a distinguished seat in a tournament that spans 14 cities in the United States from June 15 to July 16.
Since August 2018, Juan has served as the Marketing and Communications Director for the FFB, where her contributions have earned her considerable recognition and respect.
A holder of a postgraduate degree in Sports Management from FIFA/CIES, Juan’s skills have also been acknowledged at three separate CONCACAF tournaments within a two-year span.
Her work, according to a press release from the FFB on July 2, has extended far beyond her duties with the FFB, garnering her valuable insights into multiple CONCACAF Nations League and Champions League games.
When interviewed by Amandala, Juan shared her excitement and vision for her new role as a CONCACAF Media Officer. “This opportunity is something that I’ve been working towards,” she said. “The Gold Cup really is the World Cup for our region, and for me, it’s a major accomplishment.”
Juan further expressed her gratitude to CONCACAF for their training and mentorship, emphasizing that her openness to learning was key to her success.
Juan highlighted her plans to apply what she has learned in the international arena back home in Belize. “In some of the ways they do their games, doing interviews before and after a match, it will increase the professionalism of our sport and will allow Belize to get international exposure,” she stated.
Beyond her professional achievements, Juan sees her new role as an opportunity to promote the advancement and empowerment of women in football.
She believes that despite the strides made by CONCACAF and FIFA, much work remains to be done to level the playing field for women in the sport. “I’m grateful that as a woman, I’m able to be in a position where I can say ‘I made it,’ and hopefully, I can inspire other young women to be involved in sports,” Juan added.
Regardless of whether people are familiar with Belize, Juan sees it as an opportunity to speak of her country, which she is extremely proud of. “I’m always proud to say I’m Belizean. I’m from little Belize but I’m here among all these other people, and I’ll continue working hard to continue to represent Belize proudly,” she affirmed.
To women and girls who aspire to carve out a career in sports management, Juan had a message: “Be humble in everything you do. Accept that you don’t know it all. But be willing to learn. And never give up.”
The FFB extends its heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Yashmin Juan on her appointment.