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| October 28, 2003 | Tuesday | Ramazan 1, 1424 |
PFF to seek help from FIFA, AFC for facilities
ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has been assured all assistance by FIFA and the continental body, the AFC for promotion of the game.
PFF president Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, who returned only recently from Doha, Qatar where the FIFA and AFC Congress was held said that a plan had been sought by the two bodies in this regard.
Faisal who chaired a meeting of the PFF selection committee at the Jinnah Stadium on Monday said that the AFC chief would be visiting the country in connection with the FIFA goal project and for holding further talks on “our plan”.
He said that the PFF also planned to hire foreign coaches in order to keep pace with the technical advancements football had made.
The PFF, he said had also enhanced the daily allowance of the players while on trips abroad to $20 a day and would also increase the officials’ allowance.
Later, the PFF selectors named players who will represent Pakistan at the three-nation under-20 competition in Dhaka that will serve as qualifying leg for the AFC Championship to be held later in Malaysia.
The players: Waqas Pervez, Muhammad Salim, Muhammad Asif, Juniad Nisar, Mubashir Rafiq, Umer Farooq, Mubasher Hussain, Imran Niazi, Farooq Shah, Misbahul Hassan, Ejaz Ahmed, Aitzaz Hassan, Zulfikar, Akhtar, Ahmed, Abdullah, Abdul Shakoor and Naeem.
APP adds: International technical assistance, including foreign coaches, will be obtained while playing facilities will be upgraded, Pakistan soccer chief said on Monday.
The Dhaka qualifying event brings together Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal from Dec 5 to 10. One team from each of the 15 qualifying tournaments will be joined by hosts Malaysia for the final round.
He said AFC chief would visit Pakistan later this year in connection with “FIFA Goal Project” being launched in Lahore and “further talks will be held with him on our plan.”
PFF had found sponsors for the installation of lights and improvement of other facilities in areas “where football is played with enthusiasm,” he added.
The official said coaches would be arranged for the preparation of various teams including the squad for the SAF Games to be held in Pakistan from March 29 to April 7 next year.
“We have good local coaches but foreign coaches are also essential since the game has technically advanced.” he said. “We will also obtain other international assistance for the promotion of the sport”.
He said PFF had also found sponsors for procuring the players kits. “We want to spend all our funds on promotion of the game and as such have decided to get players kits etc., through sponsors”.
Faisal said the PFF had also raised the players allowance on foreign trips “by 200 percent to $20 a day” and was also increasing the officials’ allowance.
The selection committee, headed by Col Yunus Changezi, selected 17 players for the forthcoming tournament. Up to 29 players were in action at the camp out of which 17 were selected for the Dhaka trip since the remaining 12 were found over-aged by team doctor Meesaq Rizvi.
The selected players will assembly in Karachi again 10 days from now for another three-week training before leaving for Dhaka.
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