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LAHORE Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohammad bin Hammam has awarded the hosting rights of the 36th AFC Under-19 Championship Qualifier-2009 to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).
It will be 23 years since U-19 football returned to Pakistan and it will provide a perfect boost to Pakistani football by exploiting the untapped potential of the game here.
The U-19 Asian event was last held in Quetta in 1986. Uzbekistan, runners-up of the previous edition, will fight it out with Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Turkmenistan and Maldives when Pakistan hosts the six-team Group 'D' encounters.
The qualification draw for the biennial show threw up a number of riveting match-ups. A total of 42 teams were slotted into seven groups of six teams each.
Four groups belong to the West Asia zone and three to the East. AFC asked all the seven host nations to run the qualifiers from Nov 1-15. Players born on or after Jan 1, 1991, will be eligible to play in the qualifiers.
The winner and runners-up of each group will advance to the tournament proper, which will be held next year at an as yet undecided venue.
One best third-placed team from the West Zone and one best third-placed team from the East will also qualify for the finals.
Holders UAE, who defeated Uzbekistan in Saudi Arabia last year to win the title for the first time, will attempt to qualify for the finals from a tricky Group 'B', which also comprises Syria, Qatar, Bahrain, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
Two-time winners Saudi Arabia will come face to face with Iraq, who won the title in 2000, Oman, Kuwait, India and Afghanistan in a finely-balanced Group 'C'.
In the East section, Japan, who will be itching to shed their perennial U-19 bridesmaid's tag, and Australia were slotted together in Group 'F' with Indonesia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong.
Korea, who have won the title a whopping 11 times, received an easy draw in Group 'E' with Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Macau and Bangladesh.
Another East Asian giant China, who last lifted this trophy in 1985, are in Group 'G' in the company of 2006 winners DPR Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Guam and the Philippines.
Groupings
Group 'A' - Nepal (h), Tajikistan, Jordan, Yemen, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan.
Group 'B' - UAE (h), Syria, Qatar, Bahrain, Bhutan, Sri Lanka.
Group 'C' - Oman (h), Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, India, Afghanistan.
Group 'D' - Pakistan (h), Uzbekistan, Iran, Lebanon, Turkmenistan, Maldives.
Group 'E' - Thailand (h), Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Macau, Bangladesh.
Group 'F' - Indonesia (h), Australia, Japan, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong.
Group 'G' - China (h), DPR Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Guam, Philippines.—Agencies
