PEL’s Asghar shows guts as Pakistan football talent hunter

Asghar Khan Anjum (PEL)

Lahore, 8 April: Pak Elektron Limited (PEL), who will play their fourth season in Pakistan Premier League 2011 from June, contributed a number of players to the Pakistan football team, including Muhammad Adil, Alamgir Khan, Ehsan Ullah who represented Pakistan in 4th AFC Challenge Cup last month, and Asian Star Safi Ullah. Besides appearance in Pakistan Premier Football League from 2008 to 2010, Lahore-based PEL actually created a nursery for the Pakistan football taking over the responsibility from Crescent Textile Mills’s Allah Dita Awan who was known for digging out players from villages and far-flung areas.

The man behind the scene of PEL fine work is Asghar Khan Anjum, a qualified coach who assisted George Kottan in SAFF Championship 2009 and played again European team Moldova in his playing days. Rahim Yar Khan-born Asghar talent-hunted several stars on Pakistan soil and all the PPFL teams are now filled with the players produced by Asghar in his all out spell.

PEL’s former Safi Ullah Khan became only player in Pakistan soccer history to score four goals in an international fixture and rose further into limelight when he finished as leading marksmen of third AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier 2009. Muhammad Tauseef Ahmed, who struck a goal against Palestine in Lahore Test recently also emerged from PEL. Goal keeper Saqib Hanif, midfielder Waheed Hameed who helped PEL in snatching tenth spot in PPFL 2010, will now play for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited in coming 21st National Bank Cup (NFCC) at Faisalabad. In the same way, PEL’s leading scorer Saad Ullah in PPFL 2010 will represent titleist KRL in coming NFCC.

“When it comes to producing star booters, PEL is clearly at the top. It is clearly the soccer nursery and players from this organization went on to wear national color. PEL is known for producing a tremendous quantity of fine footballers and one can judge also that PEL’s former players Rahim and Shahid Ali are now central defenders of former National and NFCC Champion HBL. But talent alone is not enough to become an outstanding player, as extraordinary levels of preparation and development are also needed. The infrastructure, facilities of sports were utilized under tremendous vision of Asghar Anjum,”said PEL’s Director Operation Murad Saigol “Of course PEL offers its own football school,”

Murad believes the man from Rahim Yar Khan will remain a huge success at PEL. He is a elegant coach with immense visualization of talent hunting and one of the most exciting young coaches in Pakistan presently. His style and ability will give any team a different dimension and I’m sure he will be a popular with the team and fans in future too.”

“We need to keep developing our game and our players.” That was the vision, thinking of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat right from 2003 and a year later he created the PPFL that broaden the pool of top Pakistani footballers. Tasked with developing the football in efficient, long and short term strategy throughout the whole country, his steps meet successes, and the team that provided more and more players regularly to PFF and Pakistan is PEL who joined Faisal-led country’s ruling body in top ranked event in 2008, after winning PFF League 2007.

The 23 players produced under PEL’s coach Asghar Anjum and now attending other organizations are Aqeel Ahmed, Kamran (Railways), Tauseef Ahmed, Basit Ghafoor, Haider Ali (WAPDA), Jalil Ahmed, Safi Ullah Khan, Abid Ghafoor, Muhammad Adil, Muhammad Bilawal, Ehsan Ullah, Jahanzeb, Saad Ullah (KRL), Rahim, Shahid Ali (HBL), Saqib Hanif, Waheed Hameed ( ZTBL), Ali Raza (PMC Athletico), Asad Ullah, Alamgir Khan (Police), Muhammad Sher, Muhammad Bilal, Muhammad Usman (PAF).