LAHORE, June 29: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) faces dilemma over selecting the venue for December’s SAFF championship as a wrong decision could lead to heavy financial losses.

The eight-nation event has been allotted to Pakistan on rotation basis and is scheduled at People’s Sports Complex. Punjab Stadium, Lahore and Jinnah Stadium Islamabad, are being considered as the alternate venues in case officials fail to renovate the People’s Sports Complex before time.

According to an initial estimate, PFF needs Rs10 million apart from South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) grant of $170,000 in meeting all expenditures of the event.

The deficit could only be met through gate money as the PFF is not allowed to acquire sponsorship since the SAFF has sold the rights for $5 million.

Besides giving a grant of $170,000 to the PFF, SAFF will also provide $100,000 as prize money from $five million.

The host country will have to bear all expenditures including boarding, lodging and transportation of 252 players and officials. The hosts will also provide travel and daily allowances to the match officials.

PFF prefers Karachi as it is the only venue from which gate money could be expected. The football stadium at People’s Sports Complex has a seating capacity of 40,000. The Punjab Stadium has 10,000 seating capacity. But crowd response was poor even during crucial third match of series between Pakistan and India on June 18 despite free entry.

However, the three-member delegation of SAFF which inspected People’s Sports Complex has not expressed its satisfaction over the facilities. Few years ago, the participating teams of Under-20 Asian qualifiers raised hue and cry over the pitch and Bangladesh coach had been dubbed it “rugby field”.

Recently Asian Football Confederation rejected Pakistan’s bid of hosting inaugural AFC President’s Cup in Karachi, saying People’s Sports Complex does not have the international level pitch and other facilities.

Meanwhile, a three-man delegation of the SAFF visited Punjab Stadium on Wednesday. Although the delegation, headed by Siraj-ul-Islam Bachchu, did not raise any objection on the two venues, it decided in future it would visit only the venue selected by PFF.

“I will prefer Karachi as the venue if all facilities pointed out by the SAFF are provided well before the start of the event,” Bachchu, who is also the secretary SAFF said, after inspecting the Punjab Stadium.

“This (Punjab Stadium) venue needs only floodlights and is in more perfect condition. Its changing rooms, pitch and facilities for the media meet the required standards,” he said.

Bachchu said lot of work was needed to prepare the pitch at People Sports Complex.