January 8, 2003	Wednesday	Ziqa’ad 4, 1423

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KARACHI, Jan 7: The national soccer coach Akhtar Mohiuddin has refused to join the training camp for SAF Games in protest because of callous attitude of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).

PFF has appointed Akhtar the national coach for the March 29 to April 7 Games to be hosted by Islamabad, and asked him to report for the camp which starts at Jinnah Stadium in the capital city on Jan 10.

Akhtar, however, regretted and decided against joining the camp due to what he called non-professional approach of the PFF which forced him earlier to quit the national camp last December.

“First the PFF called me in December and created confusion by appointing another coach for that camp. Then they said I would accompany the squad as assistant coach.

“And then PFF elaborated I have been appointed for the SAF Games. It is pointless to go there again for more humiliation. Who can assure PFF won’t repeat what it had done earlier. It is quite possible I would be replaced days before the Games,” a dejected Akhtar said Tuesday.

Quoting PFF secretary Agha Liaquat as saying, Akhtar said he had been assured by the official verbally he would be the coach at least until Olympic qualifiers later this year.

“But I have made up my mind. These offers cannot impress me. I went to the camp earlier with enthusiasm. But now I am not interested to go and work in these circumstances,” he said.

Akhtar, on the request of the PFF, reported at the camp on Dec 12 set up for the SAFF Gold Cup in Dhaka but was baffled when he found another coach Tariq Lutfi supervising the camp.

He was told by the executive secretary Maj Farooq Mir (retd) he would supervise the SAF Games camp while Tariq would train squad for Dhaka contest.

Akhtar, however, found the reply illogical when he came to know the SAF Games camp starts Jan 7 while he had been asked to report on Dec 10.

He also faced more embarrassment when it was revealed five officials including Tariq and excluding him had been already decided by the PFF for the Dhaka tour.

Interestingly, PFF has now given Akhtar a list of probables selected for the SAF Games by the former coach Jozef Herel.

“I had told PFF last December I would like to call some 20 to 25 more players. But since now I have decided against joining the camp, it is up to PFF to do whatever they like,” Akhtar said.

Akhtar, who had assisted former coach John Layton during last year’s England tour in 2001, World Cup qualifiers, last year’s Under-20 Asian championship qualifying round and other contests, is a respected figure among the players.