![ICCI honours IFA soccer team [The Nation]](https://footballpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ICCI-hosts-Islamabad-FA-team-after-Gothia-Cup-win.jpg "ICCI honours IFA soccer team [The Nation]")
by Mohsin Ali
ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Saturday hosted a reception in honour of Islamabad Football Association (IFA) soccer team that had won the Gothia Cup Under-18 Football Tournament 2017 in China.
ICCI President Sheikh Amir Whaeed, SVP M Naveed Malik, IFA President Saleem Chaudhry, Secretary Syed Sharafat Hussain Bukhari, team manager Syed Tanveer, coach M Zaman, captain Abdullah Shah, team players, former secretary information Pakistan Football Federation, Rana Tanveer and others were also present at the occasion.
Sheikh Amir congratulated IFA soccer team and said their victory among 56 participating teams showed Pakistan possesses great talent in every sporting field and it was achievement and also offered ICCI’s full support to IFA . He also asked IFA President to send a proposal regarding first-ever professional soccer league, which IFA want to conduct in October.
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He urged businesses to sponsor soccer and asked government to declare football as an industry for its better development. He also asked CDA to develop more football grounds in Islamabad. He also pledged jobs and scholarships from ICCI platform to deserving players and sponsor foreign tours of IFA team.
ICCI Senior Vice President Naveed thanked IFA soccer team for visiting ICCI and said promoting sports among youth leads to better nation development. He assured that ICCI Sports Committee under the chair of Nasir Mehmood Chaudhry will continue to patronage sportspersons. He also announced to hold a sports gala for chamber member families and every sportsperson of twin cities will be also invited.
IFA President, Saleem Chaudhry said that IFA soccer team went to China on self-finance basis as no one came forward to sponsor the team. He urged that corporate and private sectors should patronise sports activities. Nasir Chaudhry Chairman ICCI Sports Committee, Rana Tanveer Ahmed Information Secretary Pakistan Football Federation, Baser Daud, Ashfaq Chatha, Sheikh Abdul Waheed and others also spoke at the occasion and congratulated the winner of Gothia Cup 2017.