- Published
Michele Kang believes London City Lionesses' planned training ground will set a new standard in the women's game and surpass facilities used by the majority of men's Premier League clubs.
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ground → publish → clubs
Over the summer, Kang boosted the Women's Super League side with significant investment in players, including the signing of two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas.
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Kang → boost → Putellas
Speaking to BBC Sport, Kang revealed a purpose-built training centre is expected to open within the next year.
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centre → speak → year
She said: "We're building a state-of-the-art training centre for our female athletes dedicated to them, built and designed for them, which will open in less than a year.
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which → say → year
Our architect, who has built several Premier League training centres told me that by the time the London City training centre is up and running, it would be better than with the majority of Premier League men's teams training centres."
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it → build → centres
Kang views investment in infrastructure as part of a wider remit to ensure female athletes are no longer treated differently from their male counterparts.
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athletes → view → counterparts
"How could you possibly accept the notion that your girls, your daughters, granddaughters, sisters are treated as second-class citizens where in the same sport the boys go to play as if it's their birthright?"
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it → accept → sport
She believes that for too long, women have been treated like "small men".
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women → believe → men
"We have to take care of our female players better so that they can train, perform, and thrive as female athletes, not small men," she said.
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she → have → athletes
"You drive your boy to a state-of-the-art training centre and then, if you're lucky enough to have a facility nearby, you drive your girl somewhere else.
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you → drive → girl
Why would you accept that?"
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you → accept → that
Kang is a strong advocate of independent women's clubs and said that was one of the reasons she was attracted to London City Lionesses.
"
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she → say → Lionesses
My first entree into women's football was Washington Spirit, in the United States, where two thirds of women's teams are independent and not affiliated with men's team.
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thirds → affiliate → team
"I wanted to show that there isn't just one model that the women's team has to be part of the men's team, but an independent team, because I think at that time, London City and Durham, if I'm not mistaken, those are the two, women-only teams.
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those → want → time
"I wanted to build a women-only team to show when you really devote all your attention and resources and energy into women's only team, what's possible."
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what → want → team
Kang credits her father
Kang traces much of that belief back to her upbringing in South Korea and the influence of her father.
When asked why she is so passionate about women, Kang said: "I think it probably originally came from my father.
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it → credit → father
From very early on, my father, who had only three girls.
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who → have → girls
"I was growing up in South Korea, where it was still a very traditional society, where girls have certain roles.
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girls → grow → roles
"He said in this day and age it doesn't matter whether you're a girl or a boy, whatever you want to do, you have to put 100% of what you have and you can go for it.
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you → say → it
And if you don't achieve, you have only yourself to blame."
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you → achieve → yourself
Kang says those lessons have stayed with her throughout her career.
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lessons → say → career
"I'm grateful that I achieved my American dream.
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And this is my way of giving back that I don't want, quite frankly, a lot of young girls growing up going through what I went through.
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"I want them to be able to focus on what they have to do to be the best football player, not having to worry about changing clothes in the middle of a public park or broken equipment - all those type of things.
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they → want → things
The club's training centre is also expected to support research into female athlete health, an area Kang believes has been overlooked for decades.
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Kang → expect → decades
Kang pointed to injury rates as one example.
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Kang → point → example
The tune of two or three times more female players get ACL injuries than male players," she said.
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she → get → players
"Something like 94% of all science medical research is dedicated to men.
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% → dedicate → men
Kang's ambitions extend beyond London.
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ambitions → extend → London
Through her multi-club ownership model, which already spans England, France and the United States, she wants the standards being established at London City to be replicated across the globe.
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standards → span → globe
"I would like to buy a team in Asia.
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I → like → Asia
I would like to buy a team in Africa.
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I → like → Africa
I would like to buy a team in South America, because I want all the girls in those countries to grow up thinking that this kind of the best, best, facilities and best practices and unbelievably, infrastructure is not something that they can only watch on TV because they're only in England, France, America, but it's in their backyard."
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it → like → backyard
The owner says she wants future generations of female players to enjoy opportunities equal to those available to boys, regardless of where they grow up.
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they → say → boys
"That reality, the gap between the girls and boys journeys is indefensible, and I want that to disappear.
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that → want → journeys
And when asked what message she had for the rest of the Women's Super League, her answer was short and direct.
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answer → ask → League
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