Our mission is to complete SAF Games hat-trick next year : Faisal
Lahore, 21 June : Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, MNA, said that our main target is to complete SAF Games hat-trick next year when Dhaka will stage 11th South Asian Games. We will develop strong Pakistan U23 team to give us third gold on the trot after triumphs in 2004 and 2006. Faisal chaired PFF Congress today after presided over PFF Executive Committee Meeting in the morning at FIFA Football House, Lahore today.
“By virtue of those two gold-medal triumphs, Pakistan became the most successful nation of South Asian Games’s 24-year history, sprinted past India’s three golds. Pakistan earlier won the gold in 1989, 1991 and 2004. I feel cheerful that last two triumphs in 2004 and 2006 appeared during my reign,” said Faisal who also approved ambitious PFF VISION 2020 Plan which will create opportunity to PFF in earning berth in top 15 Asian teams as well earning tickets of World Cup, Olympics and FIFA age-limit competitions in next five to seven years.
During the PFF congress, Faisal congratulated PFF’s SVP Zahir Shah and PFF Women Wing Chairperson Robina Irfan for earning slots in Provincial Ministry and said it confirmed that PFF is composed of persons having solid back ground. PFF Chief also praised PFF’s Marketing Director Sardar Naveed Haider for his valuable contribution and also expressed deep sense of grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Maqsood Mir, brother of PFF Director Operation Pervez Mir.
The House discussed the poor performance of Pakistan National team in second AFC Challenge Cup at Chinese Taipei and 7th SAFF Championship at Male and noted the flaws for rectification in future assignments. ” we have called former international skippers, referees, coaches to give us concrete, merit-oriented suggestions for debate on promotion of football in Pakistan and a sub-Committee has been formed under Zahir Shah which will gather all the documents of these suggestions and comments and they will finalize their report for PFF to proceed with firm activities in future,” he said.
Faisal pledged to continue his drive to youth development, women soccer and to professionalize the game in Pakistan. “We have achieved a lot in the last five years and enhancement of Pakistan soccer exposure to 2610 % from 2003 to 2008 as compare to Activities from 1999 to 2003 showed that we are serious, committed about uplift and welfare of this game in this part of the world. It is remarkable that PFF is the only body affiliated with 46-member AFC to get three Goal Projects.
The number will be raised to four soon as AFC promised to give project Quetta after Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. But there is still much needed to be done and it will be my endeavour to see that Pakistan football is one day recognized as the best, at least in Asia. We need to set the highest benchmark possible in terms of professionalism,” said Faisal, the 17th President in PFF’s 60-year history.
The PFF Congress members had recognized Faisal Saleh Hayat’s glorious work from 2003-08 and said reappointment of him as member of AFC Disciplinary Committee until 2011 speaks of PFF Chief quality.” When I took over in 2003, football was out of Radar Screen and people used to turn deaf ear towards it but now football is in every nook of Pakistan. The next step will be to enforce professionalism in the game to introduce Pakistani players further in the world.
Faisal Saleh Hayat said that we are proud of our young players. We have to encourage and groom these players from this age so that they can grow up to become super stars at international level. PFF Vision 2020 Plan is related to grass-root level and youth development through which, in early stage, twelve Youth Development Centres (YDC) will be established in Provincial and Regional centers and each YDC will be comprised of Soccer Field, Gymnasium and Administrative Block. The Provincial/Regional Associations will play their part with 26 coaches of AFC AID-27 Scheme in order to make this Plan successful.