By Rahat Shinwari
Women football is on decline due to internal politics in Pakistan Football Federation, non availability of national women championship & other events is regrettable because talent of women footballers is wasted, the national players Asmara Kiyani and Sana Mahmud spoke during exclusive interview with the FootballPakistan.com (FPDC).
According to National and International women football players Asmara Kiyani , Sana Mahmud , Ayeza Waheed and Aman Kiyani , PFF is totally politicized and politics had destroyed the Pakistan Football Federation and due to this PFF is not organizing any event including National Women Championship since long and this had compelled them to run a club at Islamabad on own reources so that nation can avoid losing talented players.
National player Asmara Kiyani said in response to a question that Pakistan’s women football stands 4th in South Asia and is capable of being number one, but lack of adequate opportunities and attention has made them upset and female footballers have been suffering from these injustices. Senior National football players Sana Mahmud said that she runs a football club namely ‘Rising Stars ‘players in Islamabad where young women footballers are being trained under coach Shahid Khan, but they need resources.
Asmara Kiyani told FootballPakistan.com that football is world’s most popular game and she is very fond of football but unfortunately lacking events and authorities’ attention had pushed them back. She demanded the immediate execution of national women football championship so that the young talent of the nation could be addressed and polished. Different sponsors and government is not paying any attention to football and all has been focused on cricket that is wrong with football, she added.
National players Ayeza Waheed and Aman Kiyani say ‘the football is all about discipline and plays a role in the maintenance of peace, unity and development. According to Asmara Kiyani and Sana Mahmud , for emergence of new talent and promotion of football it is essential that academies should be established at grass root level in schools and colleges throughout the country so that new talent could be highlighted .
While answering a question Sana Mahmud said, unfortunately there is not a single well established football academy for women in Pakistan neither any foreigner coach is available for the youth to get advanced training. Players have also criticized the media subjected to media coverage of football is not much enough as compare to cricket.
National football players called on the government to eliminate politics from the Pakistan Football Federation and eligible people to be included in it for the improvement and betterment of the soccer. They also demanded that the women national championship should be immediately held so that the new talent and players get the chance to show their talent across the globe. They also appreciated the fruitful efforts of FootballPakistan.com for the promotion of soccer and national players worldwide