Karachi Electric Supply Company will be sponsoring KESC Lyari Football League in collaboration with Pakistan Football Federation from January 8th to 24th, 2011. This tournament is being organized specially for the residents of Lyari.
There are sixteen teams of under 14 footballers participating in this tournament. Twelve teams are from Lyari while the other four are from Uthal, Bela, Vinder and Hub.
The tournament will be played among four groups of under-14 players on a league format, each group will have four teams. The winning two teams from each group will move forward to the quarter finals. Winners of the quarter finals will proceed to the semi-finals and the top two will then go on to play the final. The winning team will get cash prizes and various incentives.
Pakistan Football Federation is taking this step to revitalize football in Lyari. The Federation would be carrying out a selection process for future players in this tournament for their training and grooming.
The opening ceremony of the League will be held at the Peoples Stadium Lyari, which will provide an opportunity for all the teams to gather at one venue, which will be followed by the opening match of the league. This ceremony will be telecasted live on Geo Super TV channel.
The remaining matches of the tournament will be played at Gabol Park, Lyari, while the final will be held at the Peoples Stadium Lyari which will also be shown live on Geo Super. Keeping in line with their commitment of Corporate Social Responsibility, KESC is organizing this event in order to uplift the underprivileged people of Karachi.
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PFF Media Cell adds:
Lyari is the linchpin of Pakistan football but most of the boys were unable to buy even their kits during set-ups of previuos PFF. There was time in 50s, 60s, Lyari-based footballers were so much idolised in Dhaka that it was difficult for the players to walk through the streets in Bangladesh because of their popularity.
We recogninised Lyari`s potential and will leave no stone unturned to uplift football in Lyari. To groom the young talent of the football-crazy area, Lyari Football League will soon be full swing. This is stated by Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat who added that Lyari, which has always been a hub of soccer activity, and has produced football greats such as Ali Nawaz. Mohammad Omar, Abdul Ghafoor, Murad Bakhsh Gotai, Turab Ali, Qadir Bakhsh. “it is important to encourage and support the talent pool in Lyari.
There is huge potential in the players of Lyari and Lyarities appreciated Faisal Saleh Hayat`s initiative to tap into this talent for the betterment of football in the country”, said Ali Nawaz who captained Pakistan n 1974 RCD Cup, and a resident of Lyari.
PFF has engaged in a strategic partnership with the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) to organize PFF-KESC Lyari Football League from 8-24 January 2011. The PSB annual grant of Rs. 15 lacs is one of the hardship faced by the PFF but corporate sector KESC promised to fulfill demands of the eagerly-awaited League.
“We are grateful to the PFF Chieft who has ordered a sum of Rs. 5000 to be presented to each boy playing in the league along with providing for their food and transport during the event. There are a total of 352 players so this amounts to over Rs. 20,00,000. But PFF will not compromise when it comes to providing benefits to players,” said PFF`s Director Marketing and Event Management Sardar Naveed Haider Khan.
The Technical Study Group (TSG) of 17-day event would select the best 50 players from the 352 participating in the competition as probables for the 8th National U16 Championship (May) and 15th Asian U16 Championship. (Oct) later the year. The winning team will be presented Rs 1,00,000 cash while the runner-up will receive Rs. 50,000. There will also be individual prizes. Event will be a testament to Lyari’s potential in sports.
Lyari is a big football industry and is undoubtedly ‘Mini Brazil’. Every four years, when the World Cup comes around, Lyariites set up big screens across the town, put their football jerseys on and follow the tournament with unmatched fervour.
We join PFF to revitalize football in Lyari.” said KESC`s Chief Marketing and Communication Officer Ghufran Atta Khan while company’s Head of Football Advancement Zabe Khan said that keeping in line with their Corporate Social Responsibility, KESC is taking care of coming show in order to uplift the underprivileged people of Karachi. Both of them urged the soccer lovers and others to come and watch the youngsters in action Gabol Park and Peoples Sports Complex in Lyari Town.
It’s a town of the poor who have barely a few things to be cheerful about. Football is one of them. Indeed, it tops the list,” says Hassan Baloch, who was successful Pakistan U14 coach in Iran’s Festival of Football last year. “The standard of football deteriorated after the fall of Dhaka in 1971. Things have not looked up since then, both for football and for the town. But PFF is going all out for prosperity of game in Lyari.”
Sixteen teams of U14 footballers – 12 from Lyari and one each from Uthal, Bela, Vindal and the Hub – will participate in the Lyari Football League. Peoples Complex will hold both the opening/closing ceremony encounters while the rest of the matches at the Gabol Park.