Lahore, 30 May : ” Chairman of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Frank Lowy assured that Australia is ready to help Pakistan Football Federation which will promote soccer in Pakistan. He assured me that soon an Australian team will undertake the tour of Pakistan. The climate of both Australia and Pakistan is similar but the game plan and techniques of both teams are different and Pakistani footballers will learn a lot from Australian way of playing as currently they are 43rd in FIFA World Ranking.” This is stated by Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat after the 58th FIFA Congress held at Sydney from 29-30 May 2008. Taking up 5300 hotel rooms, the FIFA Congress brings together the decision makers of world football from 208 member nations, representing more member countries than the United Nations.
Faisal also met Sh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, President, Bahrain Football Association for discussion on promotion of soccer and exchange of visits of men, women teams besides courses of refereeing, coaches and administrators.
The soccer enthusiasts of Pakistan are hoping and believe that Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat’s talks with various head of national associations during recently-concluded FIFA Congress would become landmark in 60-year soccer history of Pakistan. Earlier his visit to Bahrain Football Association (BFA) on 11-12 September 2005 turned out to be successful as BFA and General Organization for Youth and Affairs, Bahrain decided to give Pakistan coaches. One of them, Salman Ahmed Sharida showed his class and helped Pakistan win the record-breaking gold in 10th South Asian Games at Colombo 2006.
During the Congress, Faisal also met with Presidents of various national bodies like Kazi Mohammed Salahuddin ( Bangladesh Football Federation), Shahir Ahmed ( Football Association of Maldives), Kawabuchi Saburo (Japan Football association), Ho Peng Kee (Singapore Football Association), Ganesh Thapa (All Nepal Football Association) and AFC Vice President Manilal Fernando, aiming at cementing relations with the PFF.
Becoming 17th PFF President on 28 August 2003 and retaining the post last year for another four years, Faisal, earlier visited Turkey, Romania, England, Bahrain, Iran, Morocco and exchanged views with several officials for football promotion in Pakistan. It was first time in PFF’s history that a PFF President spared his precious time from his busy assignments, and visited countries to seek their help for football promotion in Pakistan.