Lahore, 6 December: Tanveer Ahmed, skipper of Pakistan in 2005 Islamic Games, and Haji Abdul Sattar, the man who scored the all important solitary goal against Bangladesh in 4th SAF Games 1989 Football final, are among the 24 participants called by PFF for AFC B-Certificate Football Coaching, commenced today morning at FIFA Football House, Lahore. Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s Secretary General Muhammad Lt. Col. ® Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi inaugurated the event. PFF Director Operations Wing. Comdr (R) Pervaiz Saeed Mir was also present on this occasion.
Iranian AFC Instructor Nader Arabi will run 21-day Course who was also at the same city two months ago when he handled the first-ever AFC C-Certificate Women Football Coaching Course at same venue from 20 September – 2 October 2010. Shahzad Anwar, coach of Pakistan against Malaysia in 2008 Friendly, will assist Arabi while Muhammad Babar Khan will be Coordinator.
The participants are Syed Mohammad Tahir Agha, Tanveer Ahmed, Haji Abdul Sattar, Syed Qasim Raza, Mohammad Shamim Khan, Asghar Khan Anjum, Mohammad Rasheed, Zahid Niaz, Noman Ibrahim, Mohammad Javed, Mohammad Karim, Najeeb Ullah Najmi, Fazal-e-Ghaffar, Mohammad Saghir, Khalid Nawaz, Ghulam Murtaza, Naseem Ahmed, Aslam Khan, Akbar Ali, Mohammad Aamir Khan, Mohammad Saleem Awan, Saleem Khan, Ayub Alam, Imdad Hussain Shah.
Arabi, Iranian coach during AFC Women’s Asian Cup at Vietnam from 28 May – 8 June 2008, said : “Playing football, for most of us, is an easy sport. But to be aware of the technical aspects of the game is a different ball game altogether. Although the sport is gaining in popularity, the training infrastructure is woefully inadequate.”
The Course, second of its kind since 2006, also included AFC AID-27 Coach Muhammad Javed currently working as Assistant coach of PPFL Team Sui Southern Gas Company. He also attended National Camp in 1993 and won the hearts of young footballers with his Usmanabad Football Youth Development Centre.
He also praised Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President’s Faisal Saleh Hayat’s vision, long-term planning and according to him coaches will play vital role in this regard. The Course will enable the 24 participants to take this challenge. Before advent of Faisal Saleh Hayat, there were seldom any courses but now PFF managing courses after courses in Faisal reign. Myself is fourth Iranian to run Course on Pakistan soil during past three years after Majid Jalali (June 2007), Ardeshir Pournemat (December 2007, November 2009) and Ali Akbar Pourmoslemi (Feb-March 2009),” said Tehran-born Nader.