ISLAMABAD, Feb 23: A high-powered delegation of FIFA, the world football's governing body, is to visit Pakistan next month to assess the kind of support required for the development of football in the country.
Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, the president of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said on Monday that the team, besides studying other areas, will focus mainly on what level of coaches to provide.
"I had lengthy meetings with FIFA chief Joseph Blatter and their secretary and they are all willing to go the extra mile to help us," said Hayat who just returned from his trip to Zurich where the meetings took place.
"Blatter has even consented to inaugurate the Goalpost project in Lahore for which FIFA has granted a sum of $0.45 million." A similar project is to be initiated in Karachi.
FIFA is also willing to extend help in starting women's football in Pakistan, Hayat said. "On the instructions of FIFA, we have chalked out plans for staging a national league and this will be held after the SAF Games."
As part of preparations for the March 20 to April 7 Games, the national team will be undertaking a tour of Iran next month. Also, a Pakistan team will compete in an under-14 tournament in Nepal this April. Meanwhile, Hayat said that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will hold a tournament for low-ranked teams in Asia in which Pakistan will also take part.
