QUETTA: The qualifying round of the PPL Balochistan Football Cup 2017 concluded here with ten teams making it to the final round. Quetta and Chaman being the winners and runners-up of 2016 respectively, have already qualified for the tournament, making it a total of 12 teams that will play the next level to reach the finals.

Nushki, Quetta City, Loralai, Shirani, Turbat, Panjgur, Sibi, Jaffarabad, Kharan and Lasbela qualified for the final round out of a total of 35 teams that played the first round of the tournament.

On the last day, Lasbela defeated Harnai 2-0 and Quetta City won against Chaman City 4-1.

Fantastic matches were witnessed by the football fraternity with excitement and zeal, while the tournament has identified more than 50 stars who bagged man-of-the-match awards for their outstanding performances during different district matches.

Provided with good opportunities and exposure, they are quite likely to become top national footballers such as international player Muhammad Essa Khan, Zahid Hameed, Saadullah, Sher Ali, Nasrullah Khan and Mehmood Ali all of whom are the PPL’s tournament ambassadors.

The final round commences from Monday, followed by the semi-finals on March 31 and the final on April 2 in Quetta. The event is being organised by the Government of Balochistan in collaboration with the Pakistan Football Federation and the Balochistan Football Association.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2017