In June 2017, two players from the Jordan National Women’s Team participated in a football match at Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, breaking the Guinness World Record for the highest altitude football game ever played, seeking to promote equality and opportunity for women and girls.
Haneen Khateeb and Yasmin Shabsogh of the Jordan National Team joined 26 other female international players, competitive amateurs and graduates of sport to trek Mt. Kilimanjaro to play in the world record highest elevation regulation game at 18,799 ft., more than 2km higher than the world’s highest official stadium, complete with FIFA referees and an altitude specialist medical team.
The initiative, organized by Equal Playing Field (EPF) and entitled ‘Altitude Football Project’, aimed to advance equality and respect for girls and women seeking to play or work in sport everywhere, and to promote sports development for women especially in globally marginalized countries.
HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, commented: “The global conversation on equality would benefit greatly from initiatives as ambitious as this one, I salute the brave participants and wish them the best of luck in their quest.”
Prince Ali also added, “I’m also happy that two of our national team players are taking part in this initiative and are being an example to fellow players in our region on the power of football.”