Football mega stars arrive amid tight security

KARACHI: Finally, what was considered to be impossible was made a reality when a galaxy of international football legends, including Brazil’s iconic figure Ronaldinho, landed in Pakistan on Saturday.

They were given reception by the Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ in Rawalpindi.

Bajwa received them and thanked them for coming to Pakistan.

Sources said that tight security arrangements had been made for the whole movement of players in the federal capital.

Then they flew out of the federal capital via a special aircraft and landed here in Karachi late on Saturday. Media were not allowed to enter the Karachi airport.

Besides Ronaldinho, French midfielder Robert Pires, France’s former striker Nicolas Anelka, Portugal’s Luis Boa Morte, Netherlands’ George Boateng, England’s former goalkeeper David James and former Manchester United player Ryan Giggs are the players who will stay in Pakistan till July 11.

As Army has taken the responsibility of providing security to the touring party, it was seen in the television footage that the players were escorted out of the aircraft amid water-tight security arrangement in Islamabad and were taken to the hotel in the bullet proof transport following their arrival in the federal capital from Dubai.

In Karachi, too, thick security arrangements had been made at the airport and Avari Hotel where the players were boarded.

Armed forces were seen covering the entire hotel. A source from inside the hotel told ‘The News’ on Saturday that the floor where Ronaldinho and Friends had been allotted rooms had been completely shielded by Army and no one was allowed to enter the floor. Pakistani players have been boarded in the same hotel. Abdul Sattar Edhi Stadium had also been completely cordoned off by Army and they were seen patrolling around the venue.

Meanwhile, all the tickets had not been sold out for the first show in Karachi.

A source in the organising committee said that tickets were being sold out, adding, it was not known how many tickets would remain unsold.

On Friday, the organisers had given 1000 tickets to the players of Lyari. But it did not come as a good message as other four districts of the provincial metropolis have been ignored. These districts also have immense talent.