Bhoja Air disaster news; DOSTI Playing For Peace futsal

FC Rovers (Malir Cantt) president Wing Commander (Retd) Noorullah Khan Afridi dies in Bhoja Air disaster in Rawalpindi.

The deceased was among 127 people on board the Karachi-Islamabad flight B4-213 that crashed near Chaklala Airbase 5 minutes before landing last night on 20 April 2012.

The Karachi United Football Foundation (KUFF) management, Sindh FA and officials from all Karachi DFAs, FootballPakistan.Com (FPDC) staff, and FC Rovers management expressed their sorrow for the ones that died in the Bhoja Air disaster last night.

Noorullah Khan Afridi was also the father of FC Rovers captain Ammar Sharif and defender Usama Noor. We express our sorrow and prayers for families of the victims.

FC Rovers president Noorullah Khan Afridi (right) dies in Bhoja Air disaster

A series of events as a part of DOSTI-Playing for Peace, a ‘sports for peace’ initiative of the British Council, is being organized in collaboration with the Karachi United Football Foundation (KUFF). Though DOSTI-Playing for Peace will be formally launched in the next few months, these events have been planned for awareness raising in ommunities.

The Under-16 Futsal events will be hosted in all KUFF centres, namely Lyari, Old Golimar, North Karachi, Malir, Baldia Town, and Korangi. The first of these events, a one-day U-16 Futsal Tournament, will be hosted on Sunday, 22 April 2012 at KUFF Korangi Centre, Pir Baksh Football Stadium in Sharafi, Karachi.

The 8 team knock-out futsal event will feature 2 KUFF Korangi Centre sides as well as Irfan Memorial, Burma Mohammadan, Muslim Star, Korangi Baloch, Gulshan Soccer Academy and Young Ittehad (Korangi).

Pir Bakhsh Stadium will be divided into two playing fields to host 7 five-a-side games simultaneously. The semi-finals and final will be held on same day with trophies being awarded to top 3 sides and individual awards as per Organising Secretary, Riaz Ahmed.

KUFF Trustee, Adeel Rizki described these events to serve as an outlet for allowing youth to engage in healthy activities and a means to provide positive alternatives to crime and antisocial behaviour that contribute to the ongoing conflicts in Karachi. The aim is to use sport as a tool to achieve peace and harmony in the communities.

Apart from the message of peace, KUFF also hopes that such events will help discover new football talent.