August 13, 2008	Wednesday	Sha’aban 10, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: While promising to extend his support to the Italian-Pak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Islamabad’s (IPCCI) President Ettore Marzocchi and District Nazim Multan Sheikh Faisal Mukhtar for making possible the hosting of a quadrangular tournament in Multan early next year, the Pakistan Football Federation urged the holding of regular international soccer events on Pakistan’s soil.

During a meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, chaired by Muhammad Anwar Khan, acting secretary Ministry of Sports and attended by Pakistan Sports Board’s Director-General Syed Amir Hamza Gilani and senior officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Secretary Sports, Government of the Punjab, PFF’s Secretary-General Lt Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi praised the IPCCI delegation’s idea of organising an international show in Pakistan.

“It would bring a PFF event to Multan after a lapse of 33 years, while increasing the level of the game and people’s interest in the sport here,” he expressed.

Meanwhile, the delegation from IPCCI informed that well-known clubs from Brazil, Italy and South Korea will be invited to participate in the tournament along with the mayors of Sao Paulo, Seoul and Rome and famous footballers Antônio de Oliveira Filho (Brazil) and Paolo Rossi (Italy).

The tournament to be held in February-March next year alongside Jashn-i-Baharan is also being planned to introduce Multan as one of the oldest living cities all over the world while converting it into a tourist attraction for the foreigners.

Qila Kuhna Qasim Bagh Stadium, which hosted the national football championships in the year 1958, 1971 and 1975, has been picked as the tournament venue.—APP