Lahore, 2 April: Zehra Abbas and Asifa Naheed Butt, the fourth officials during last two editions of National Women Championship at Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad, are among the 16 participants of PFF Women Referee Consolidating Course. The six-day Course will be held at FIFA House, Ferozpur Road, Lahore from 10-15 April 2011.
“Women’s football is arguably the fastest growing sport in Asia and it is high time women practitioners of the game received separate and suitable recognition – on par with the men. Gone are the days when the women’s version was considered a pale and inferior shadow of the men’s game in our continent. A time is not far way when a female referee will not only supervise the National event final but Pakistan will also provide a FIFA Female Referee, and coming Course will help PFF a lot in this scheme,” said newly-elected PFF Women Committee Chairperson Robina Irfan. She occupied the new role during 28th December 2010 PFF Congress after being successful Chairperson of PFF Women Wing from 17 December 2005 to 7 August 2010.
Mother of Shlyla Baloch who scored against Afghanistan in First Women SAFF Championship last year at Bangladesh, Robina called Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat’s work on Women soccer is a milestone. “PFF has made great strides in women’s football due to dedication of PFF chief who is also AFC Legal Committee Chairman and AFC ExCo member. His decision to hire a full-time administrator dedicated to the women’s game has helped to open up competition and education doors for female footballers and officials in the country.”
The current set-up of Pakistan Football Federation met another milestone when FIFA gave inclusion to Pakistan Women football team in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking.”Under dynamic leadership of PFF President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, we have worked hard for seven years to build up women’s football and the appreciation from FIFA means very much to us and will inspire us to do even better, “ said Robina who added that Pakistan Women is in 121st spot, above 51 nations, in World Ranking after the list issued on 18 March 2011 with USA, Germany, Brazil on top three.
A big achievement for country launched female soccer only in 2005. The FIFA Women’s World Rankings for football were introduced in March 2003, as a follow-on to the existing FIFA World Rankings for men. FIFA Women’s World Rankings attempt to compare the strength of internationally active teams at any given time.
16 Participants of Women Referee Consolidating Course:
Lahore : Shumaila Sattar, Shakila Rehman, Asifa Naheed Butt
Karachi: Zehra Abbas, Kausar Habib, Surrayya, Suleha, Sudas, Urooj
Vehari : Fazilat Aslam, Saba Aziz, Shahida Kausar
Faisalabad: Nazia Sultana
Rawalpindi : Sehrish Tariq, Rabia Hameed
Peshawar: Ayesha Nisar