LAHORE Having finished third nearly 12 years ago, Pakistan will be hoping to bag the big prize at this year's South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFFC) this year.
Bangladesh will host the eighth edition of SAFFC, from December 1-15, this year, after the championship was moved from India.
While the South Asian powerhouse was the original host for the event, the souring relations between Pakistan and India after the November 26 Mumbai attacks put the hosting issue in doubt. As the All India Football Federation (AIFF) failed to break the ice with Pakistan, Bangladesh got the backing of remaining participants to host the meet during the annual AFC Congress.
Dubbed the 'World Cup of South Asia,' the SAFFC was jointly hosted by Maldives and Sri Lanka last year, where Maldives overcame tournament favourties and defending champions India, to lift the title. Mukhthar Naseer scored the winner in the thrilling contest played in the Sugathadhasa Stadium.
Holders Maldives, host Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and sub-continent rivals - Pakistan, India - will show their mettle when Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium and Kamlapur's Bir Shresta Mostafa Kamal National Stadium will host the 15-match show.
Brian Chaw, a representative of Singapore based marketing company - World Sport Group (WSG), sponsors of the SAFF Championship, visited both venues to inspect the ground conditions, floodlights and other facilities at the stadiums and designated team hotels.
'Since its inception, the biennial competition has developed into South Asia's premier football tournament, promoting the regional development of the game and providing plenty of exciting action, and wonderful skills for fans to savour in one of the most populous areas of the world,' said Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)'s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, under whom, the 2005 edition proved to be a big success at Karachi's Peoples Sports Complex.
Football following is on the rise in Pakistan as the country became the most successful nation in South Asian Games (formerly SAF Games), winning gold in 1989, 1991 with national team and in 2004, 2006 with the Under-23 team.
Despite an impressive record in South Asia, Pakistan is yet to win gold at the SAFFC.
Pakistan has occasionally created some waves in SAFFC, shocking Nepal, Sri Lanka in 1997 and India in the 2003.
A total of seven tournaments have been played in the past and India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives have been crowned champions in these seven editions.
The SAFFC is held biannually to promote the development of football in South Asia. Launched at Lahore's Railway Stadium in 1993 as SAARC Gold Cup; since 1997 onwards it is known as the SAFF Championship. —PPI
