KHANEWAL: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) secretary Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi reckons that the setting up of eight football academies in the country will improve the standard of the game in the country.

Lodhi was speaking to reporters after the PFF signed an agreement worth Rs 55 million with district government Khanewal on Tuesday to set up a FIFA training center and football ground here.

“FIFA president Sepp Blatter has assured PFF chief Faisal Saleh Hayat of his complete support in expediting the construction work on eight goal projects across the country,” Lodhi said.

“The projects have been approved in six cities of the country including Sukkar, Jacobabad, Abottabad, Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar and now in Khanewal which is the first district of Punjab where this project has been accorded.”

Lodhi maintained that PFF, in collaboration with FIFA and district government, will start construction work within two months and after the completion of the project Khanewal will be able to host football matches of national as well as international level.

“Apart from that aspiring footballers will also be trained by international coaches here,” he said.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Muhammad Usman Moazzam, who signed the accord on behalf of district government Khanewal, informed the media that they had leased a land of eight acres at Lahore Morh near Khanewal Public School for the next 30 years for the project.—APP