May 22, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 19,1424

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KARACHI, May 21: Soccer will get a kick-start on professional lines when Rs80,000 KASB Premier League starts on Sunday involving top 10 outfits of the city.

The league, which the organizers claim is the first of its kind in the country, is being organized on the pattern of English Premier League, with the basic objective to promote the game at grassroots level and pull the sport out of doldrums.

Organizers said the league would be the first step towards the expansion programme which would convert the Karachi event into a nationwide contest to bring professionalism in the game by offering cash incentives to the players.

Unfolding the details at a press briefing, organizers said a cash purse of Rs50,000 would go to the winners of the league, while runners-up would receive Rs30,000.

Winners will be awarded a bonus cash prize after every game and individual prizes like player of the league will also be awarded with an intention to attract and encourage more players.

“This professional league serves the purpose of grooming talent at grassroots level, to motivate the players and entertain the followers of this sport,” director operations of the league management committee, Imran Ali, said on Wednesday.

Karachi United Football Club (KUFC), the organizers hosting the 65-day tournament proved Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) wrong that there is dearth of financiers by finding title sponsors for the competition.

While KUFC, a club established in 1996, are about to put the sport on track with a vision to raise the profile of Pakistan in world football, the PFF, with their kitty ballooning with hefty FIFA funds, are yet to launch the national league.

Taha Alizai, the director administration of the management committee, though, refrained from divulging details when asked about the patronage from PFF, he said: “We don’t want to indulge into politics but they (PFF) have agenda of their own.”

City District Football Association (CDFA) will be providing the organizers local team, referees and grounds and the event will be held under the patronage of the Sindh Football Association (SFA).

Imran said the league might be converted into a six-month affair with more competitors vying for top honours subject to availability of the sponsors.

“We will like to have a six-month long league. We may hold the league for first and division and follow the relegation system too,” he added.

Taha said there would be no entry fee for the participants and the event was being held with assistance of corporate funding.

The first game will be played under lights between KUFC and Pakistan Petroleum Ltd at DHA Football Stadium at 7.00pm. Altogether 45 matches will played on round robin basis at five separate venues in the tournament which ends on July 28.

Other teams taking part in the championship are, Hyderi Baloch, Mekran Sports, Lyari Labour Welfare Centre, Nawab XI, Baloch Mohammadan, Aga Khan Gymkhana, Bhuta Mohammadan, and Usmanabad Union.