ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Wedne­sday said that promotion of football would be encouraged at national level.

Presiding over a meeting of the committee formed for promotion and development of football in the country and to make concrete and coordinated efforts to provide better opportunities to the youth, he said that Pakistan has huge potential for the game.

He said that two football stadium of international standard would be constructed in Quetta and Gwadar with the assistance of the Chinese government.

The meeting, without any prior notice, was kept in camera and journalists who reached there to attend the proceedings were told minutes before its start that they are not supposed to cover because proceedings will be “in camera”.

However, there was no mention of “in camera meeting” on the notice, which was uploaded on senate’s website.

“Why is a meeting on football taking place in camera? Normally, security related issues are discussed in cameras not the sports affairs,” said a dejected reporter, who rushed the parliament only to know about in camera proceedings.

After the meeting, a press release was issued, which quoted Chairman Senate as saying that football talent in the country remains untapped due to non-availability of proper infrastructure and other facilities.

It said that Chairman Senate has always taken keen interest in the sports and is cognizant of the issues being faced in this particular sport.

“Chairman Senate has also approached 50 CEOs of country’s leading private sector companies to play their role and join hand in the efforts for the promotion of football in the country,” read the statement which added that Chairman Senate mentioned with disappointment that not a single international standard football ground existed in the country and efforts should be made with support of the private sector to build such facilities for the promotion of sports of football.

Sanjrani said that the Committee would make efforts to put in solid recommendations for the development of infrastructure, explore talent and provide better opportunities for training to promote the game of football.

“Football is very popular game, however, the players need encouragement and patronage,” Sanjrani said in a statement.

The committee would take all the stakeholders on board and has decided to chalk out a viable plan to bring some positive change in the existing structure.

The committee was attended by Senators Shibli Faraz, Leader of the House in Senate, Mohammad Ali Khan Saif, Dr. Asad Ashraf, Mirza Mohammad Afridi, Ahmad Khan and President Pakistan Football Federation Ashfaq Hussain Shah.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2019