PFF National Challenge Cup from July 19

KARACHI: The PFF National Challenge Cup, featuring 15 outfits, will commence at the historic Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Shahi Bagh, Peshawar, from July 19.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Association president Syed Zahir Shah announced this at a press briefing in Peshawar on Tuesday. Also present on the occasion were organising secretary Basit Kamal and former FIFA referee Qazi Asif.

The event is being conducted by Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah-led Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) which was formed as a result of the Supreme Court-ordered elections held in December last year.

Zahir said it was decided to have a national-level event in Peshawar for engaging players. The teams are: Army, Navy, PAF, KRL, Railways, SSGC, Ashraf Sugar Mills, PTV, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), WAPDA, PFF Tigers, Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Police and Karachi United.

K-Electric are not featuring in the competitions. “What we have been informed is that their budget has not been passed yet,” Basit Kamal told ‘The News’. The opening match will be held on July 19 at 8pm.

Zahir claimed that historic Tehmas Khan Football Stadium was in excellent condition. “It also has floodlights. Some matches will also be organised under floodlights,” said Zahir, a former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health minister.

The winners will be awarded Rs500,000 and the runners-up Rs300,000. The third-placed finishers will get Rs200,000. The winners of the fair-play trophy will also get Rs70,000. The best player will get richer by Rs40,000, while Rs30,000 each will be given to the best goalie, the leading scorer and the best emerging player.

Zahir said arrangements had already been completed. He said that the best referees would be invited to supervise the matches. There will be two matches a day, first starting at 5pm and the second at 8pm.

Zahir said a selection committee constituted by PFF has short-listed probable players purely on merit to represent PFF Tigers. He said that they had not been able to get any sponsorship. He said KP Director General Sports Asfandyar Khan had extended support to the KP Football Association for holding the prestigious event. “It will be for the first that Peshawar will be hosting such a high-level domestic event,” he said.

When asked about the suspension of eight players who had featured in the World Cup qualifiers, Zahir said they had sent showcase notices to all those players, advised them not to go to the wrong side, and warned them that stern action would be taken against them if they did. “It is the responsibility of the players to judge which one is the representative body,” he said.

He said FIFA has taken a very positive step by announcing a normalisation committee to hold fresh elections of the PFF and club scrutiny across Pakistan. “There will be two members each of the Faisal group and Ashfaq group and the committee will be headed by FIFA’s representative,” Zahir claimed. “Football activities will continue. After the National Challenge Cup we have chalked out a comprehensive programme for the promotion of football in Pakistan,” Zahir said.