Lyari League players finally get money from PFF

By Shazia Hasan | From the Newspaper

KARACHI: While snubbing the referees and other match officials, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) finally handed over some 288 young participants of the KESC Lyari Football League their dues in a small ceremony held at the Football House in Lyari here on Saturday.It was discovered on January 24, the conclusion of the U-14 competition, that all the envelopes — said to contain Rs 90,000 each — given away to the 16 participating teams along with the winners` cheques and individual prizes were found empty.But the PFF said that they would be paying the participants later through bank drafts made out in the name of their fathers or guardians, which they finally did after a wait of 41 days.

The 18 players of each of the 16 teams were presented with Rs5,000 each, amounting to Rs90,000 for every team. In addition, league winners Lyari Town pocketed Rs100,000, runners-up Singolane and third-position team Bihar Colony picked up Rs50,000 and Rs25,000 respectively.Lyari Town`s captain Munir Aftab (Player of the Tournament), Singolane`s striker Idrees Rehman (Golden Boot) and Kalakot`s goalkeeper Noman Murad (Best Goalkeeper) were also presented with Rs10,000 each.

The drafts on Saturday were presented by PFF Director Operations Wing Cmdr (retd) Pervaiz Mir, Peoples Aman Committee`s (PAC) Sardar Uzair Jan and Shahid Rehman, KESC Head of Sports Marketing Zabe Khan, Chairman District West Zafar Iqbal and former national football team captain Ali Nawaz Baluch.

The PFF still has to pay the referees and match commissioner who supervised the two-week long event their fees.POA sees a lot of positives after Pakistan hosts Palestinian team  Al Hasan .KARACHI: President of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), Lt. Gen (r) Syed Arif Hasan, has said recent visits of foreign teams to the country and hosting of National Games at Peshawar have restored everyone’s confidence and the nation now look forward to staging bigger events in the near future.

“The arrival of Palestinian football team for a two-match series and the hosting of National Games in troubled Northern areas signaled the revival of sporting events in the country,” the POA chief told newsmen after inaugurating newly built office of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) at the Sindh Sports Board (SSB) sports complex in Nazimabad on Sunday.

He said it’s a good step that foreign teams have started coming to Pakistan which will send positive message across the world. Asked that the Guangzhou Asian Games medalists have not received promised cash awards, the POA chief said he had asked the PSB to settle the remaining fifty percent dues to sportspersons at the earliest. Referring to employment problem of outstanding sportspersons he said some players have got jobs while a proposal pertaining to creating more such opportunities for stalwarts was waiting ministry’s nod.“ athletes are ambassadors of the country and it was because of their feats that national anthem of Pakistan is played globally,” he remarked. Yet to another question, he said the POA has submitted a two-year programmed to the PSB regarding preparation and participation in international events abroad. The retired general said by setting-up a well equipped office and refurbishing the SSB sports complex, the SOA has set a precedent for others to follow.

“I’m delighted that SOA which use to be mobile has finally got a permanent office,” he added. It is pertinent to mention that since the country’s coming into being SOA used to function from residences of the successive secretaries. Accompanied by SOA president, Dr. Mohammad Ali Shah, who is also Sindh Sports Minister, Ms Rehana Saif, EDO Community Development, CDGK, and secretaries of provincial Olympic Associations, the POA president cut the ribbon of the SOA office and went round the facilities.A sum of Rs1.4 million has been spent on the construction and equipments of the office.He also inaugurated the brand new air-conditioned coaster which has been recently purchased at a cost of Rs6.1 million.

Dr. Shah told Dawn that an amount of Rs50 million is being spent on the refurbishment of the complex.He thanked the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, for doling out the funds for renovation and enhancing the annual sports grant of SOA to Rs10 million. He informed that SOA had a meagre Rs13,500 in its kitty when he took over three years back..Pakistan put up a fight to play out 0-0 draw against Palestine

Pakistan were wasteful with the chances they created but their defending was enough to hold off a constantly-threatening Palestine side. -Arif Ali/White Star.KARACHI: Pakistan played out a 0-0 stalemate with Palestine in their second match of the four match bi-lateral series at Karachi’s Peoples Sport Complex.The game showed a definite improvement from the previous 2-1 defeat at Lahore’s Punjab Stadium. However, Pakistan were wasteful with the chances they created but their defending was enough to hold off a constantly-threatening Palestine side.The match was witnessed by a crowd of 3500, with supporters coming all the way from Hyderabad despite a transport strike in Karachi.

Support for Palestine among the spectators was not only from the Palestinians but also from the locals.In the first half, Pakistan had the opportunity to score through skipper Jadeed Khan, Rizwan Asif and Mehmood Khan but the chances were wasted and not converted into goals. Ashraf, Iyad and skipper Suleiman failed to convert chances for Palestine.Pakistan lost Muhammad Tauseef due to injury in the 26th minute and he was replaced by Arif Hussain. Right before the end of the first-half, Pakistan’s Ahsanullah fouled Palestine’s Suleiman, which resulted in an injury for the skipper and a substitution for Palestine.Pakistan’s goal keeper Umar was tested by Palestine’s Abubelal early in the second half before Pakistan responded on the opposite end of the field with Mehmood Khan flinging a shot over the crossbar. As the game gathered pace and neared the end, Arif Hussain sent a volley just inches wide.Right after, Pakistan had to scramble to save themselves as Ghazanfar Abbas’ back pass went from in-between Umar’s legs towards the goal, forcing Umar to scramble and make a save.In the dying minutes of the game. Pkistan’s Alamgir almost scored but goal keeper Shbair made a good save to ensure the game ended in a 0-0 draw.Pakistan’s coach Tariq Lufti said that the young Pakistan team was very spirited and was constantly improving.“These are very young players and they are competing against players who have had exposure in Arab and Africa. But they are constantly improving and are doing better with every match.” Pakistan’s team will visit Palestine in May for the remaining two matches of the bi-lateral series.

Teams:

Pakistan:

Muhammad Omar, Manzoor Ahmed, Alamgir Khan, Ahsan Ullah, Faisal Iqbal, Muhammad Tauseef, Muhammad Adil, Mahmood Khan, Saddam Hussain, Jadeed Khan Pathan, Rizwan Asif.

Substitutes: Kalim Ullah, Syed Arif Hussain, Ahmed Akbar Khan, Muhammad Qais, Amir Gul, Obaid Majeed, Ansar Abbas, Ghazanfar Abbas

Palestine:

Mohammed Shbair,  Khaled Mahdi , Samer Hijazi, Husam Abu Saleh, Ayman Alhendi, Suleiman Obeid, Ashraf Alfawaghra, Houssam Wadi, Murad Said, Eyad Abugharqud, Mohammed Shatrit.

Substitutes: Abdallah Alsidawi, Saed Abu, Ahmed Harbi Mahajna, Mohammed Al-Masri,  Hesham Salhe, Khader Yousef, Atef Abu Bilal, Ismail Amour, Mohammed Jebreen, Jamal Allan.