INTER-CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP: 3000 football teams to vie for top honours

ISLAMABAD: As many as 3,000 clubs will feature in the Inter-Club Football Championship that springs into action in every nook and corner of the country in April.

Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) official Syed Sharafat Hussain Bokhari told ‘The News’ on Friday that the venture has been given final touches with the help of sponsors.

“I am delighted to share this information that around 3,000 clubs from all over the country will figure in the Inter-Club Championship starting next month. We have almost scooped up 80 per cent sponsorship and hopefully the event will be fully covered by sponsors.”

He said that the championship would cost the federation around Rs85 million. “This is an effort on the part of PHF to streamline the system at grassroots level. The credit goes to our president Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah who is making all out efforts to evolve a system that could ensure spotting talent at grassroots level.”

‘The News’ has also learnt that each district affiliated with the PFF would be given a set amount to organise the inter-district event.

“We are in process of finalising modalities of the championship that is expected to set the base of future domestic football.”

The PFF has convened Congress meeting in Islamabad on March 26 to get approval of all the recent decisions taken by the executive committee. “We have convened Congress meeting, which will be participated by 26 members, to get approval of all the decisions taken by the executive committee,” Sharafat said.

He, however, said that the decision to hold inter-club competition has already been finalised. “This is just a beginning. The inter-club will throw the talent for inter-district, inter-zone, inter-provincial level. After the completion of these tournaments, we would be in a position to hold national level event where the best players from all over the country would be seen in action.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has rejected all appeals from the previous PFF regime headed by Faisal Saleh Hayat against the elections of the federation.

The concerned parties have been directed to approach lower courts and fact-finding agencies to settle their grievances and cases against each other.