LAHORE, Nov 1: Second Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) League will now commence at several cities of the country from Dec 1 instead of Nov 1. “The dates of the event have put forward as all the 12 participating teams have failed to fulfil registration demand,” said a spokesman for the PFF on Tuesday.
“Now we have fixed Nov 15 as the deadline to complete all the necessary procedure laid down for taking part in the premier event,” he said.
Following teams will be taking part in the event: PIA,Islamabad Development Authority (IDA), Wah’s Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), Sindh Government Press (SGP), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), City District Government Karachi (CDGK), Pakistan Police, Quetta’s Baloch Club, Dera Ismail Khan’s Dera Eleven, Mardan’s Mardan Club, Karachi’s Mauripur Baloch and Naka Muhammadan. The eligible teams will join Higher Education Commission (HEC), Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), Pakistan Railways and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in draws of PFF League.
National Football Championship (Tier-I) is named as Pakistan Premier League (PPL) while National Championship (Tier-II) is known as PFF League.
Second PPL concluded at Rawalpindi’s Army Stadium last month with Army winning the title, securing 51 points from 22 matches. Wapda (45 pts) and KRL (41) finished second and third respectively., followed by PTCL (36), NBP (35), Afghan FC (34), HBL (26), KPT (24), Navy (21), Panther FC (20), Wohaib FC (20), PWD (12). National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD) entered PPL by finishing winner and runner-up in PFF League 2004.
Second PFF League 2005 also bracketed First PPL 2004’s teams Young XI (Dera Ismail Khan), Mauripur Baloch (Karachi), Baloch FC (Quetta), Naka Muhammadan (Karachi) and Mardan FC (Mardan), who were relegated after being placed from 12th to 16th position.
The winner of Second PFF League 2005 will earn the berth in Third PPL 2006. PIA is most successful team of National championship, now known as Pakistan Premier League, are nine-time winners. Punjab captured the titles eight times, followed by Karachi (six) and Wapda (five).—APP