LAHORE, Aug 27: Karachi got a chance on Wednesday to become the hub of football activity as FIFA’s $400,000 Goal Project, under which a Football House is scheduled to be built, has been shifted from Lahore to the port city.

Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) vice-president Abbas Baloch, who attended executive committee meeting on Wednesday, said that secretary PFF Agha Liaquat disclosed that Sindh government would provide a piece of land in Gulistan-i-Johar by Aug 31.

FIFA had sanctioned $400,000 for Goal Project but providing a plot Football House is PFF’s responsibility.

Abbas, who is included in the panel as vice-president which has been elected unopposed for the next four-year term, said that the decision was taken with the consent of president Mian Mohammad Azhar, who had decided not to be candidate for the next term.

“After failing in getting a plot in Lahore, the president allowed the secretary to build the Football House where the plot could be available easily,” he claimed.

He also claimed that the academies would be built in three other provinces for which FIFA would provide the funds after every four years.

Abbas said that the next PFF secretary Arshad Khan Lodhi also attended the meeting and allowed the current secretary Liaquat, who would be the next senior vice-president, to supervise the project.

He said that according to the FIFA’s terms and conditions, secretary was the incharge of the Football House.

Abbas said that the executive committee also approved the plan of the domestic activities and included the national football league in it.  AFC had been pressurising the PFF to commence league for which FIFA had also allowed to use its annual grants. However, national league is yet to be launched.

He said league matches at district level would begin from October, while at national level from March, 2004.

Senior vice-president Saeed Ahmad Khan presided over the meeting in place Azhar.