Lahore, 8 June : Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) President Sepp Blatter has appreciated the football promotion work of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) under the leadership of Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat and said that the time is not far way when Pakistan will be among top playing nations of Asia. He is convinced that standard of the game in Pakistan has greatly improved in recent years and in its pursuit to achieve the aim setforth in Vision Pakistan, the standard of football will further improve in Pakistan. This is stated by FIFA Chief who met twice with Faisal Saleh Hayat during 59th FIFA congress held at the Imperial Ballroom of the Atlantis Hotel on Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas.
Blatter chaired 59th edition of two-day FIFA Congress that approved the minutes of the 2008 FIFA Congress in Sydney, the 2008-2009 FIFA Activity Report, the consolidated financial statements for 2008, the detailed budget for 2010 and an amendment regarding the FIFA standing committees.
Sepp Blatter showed willingness to visit Pakistan soon as Pakistan football is improving as the time ticks on. He also praised the implementation of FIFA Statutes in PFF and said application of Statutes right from pff down to Provincial and regional level is one one of several praiseworthy landmarks done under PFF Chief and Pakistan is among few national affiliated with FIFA to streamline their working with it.
Blatter also praised the PFF Football for Hope Centre at Mardan’s Younus Stadium and said that it is remarkable that PFF has come forward by its social obligation and rebuilding the national economy and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs). The aim of Football for Hope is to create a better future through the medium of football. “FIFA takes its social responsibility very seriously as part of its aim to build a better future for peoples forced to flee their homes at Swat, Boner, and Dir. That is why we have declared Football for Hope to be a movement and an activity of strategic importance and we are proud that we are now in a position to support more organisations in their work.”said Swiss-born FIFA chief who assured full FIFA cooperation to help in rehabilitation work of IDPs.
Faisal Saleh Hayat thanked FIFA Chief for three Goal projects. PFF’s headquarter is in Lahore’s FIFA Football House, construction on Goal Project II at Peshawar is in full swing while the third Project will be built at Karachi.