LAHORE: The Sports Board Punjab (SBP) has granted affiliation to the Punjab Football Association (PFA), ending a delay of around 16 months and clearing the way for football activities to resume across the province.

PFA president Navid Aslam Khan Lodhi announced that the association had received the SBP’s affiliation, enabling football activities to continue under the board’s umbrella.

The PFA elections were held in November 2024 by the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee of the Pakistan Football Federation. However, the committee did not invite an SBP representative to observe the elections, a requirement for obtaining the board’s affiliation.

According to Lodhi, the PFA later invited an SBP representative to attend its Congress meeting on May 22. He said the association demonstrated majority support during the meeting, paving the way for the SBP to grant the affiliation.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2026