Football’s exclusion from 31st National Games by POA is an outrage shared by the PFF and FPDC!
In recent times, there appears to be a growing rift between the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) over the status of football in Pakistan. Both Lahore-based entities have been at odds with each other for past 5-6 months this year on two separate occasions.
The first instance was when POA had initially decided to exclude football from its competition portfolio for the 2010 Asian Games held last month in Guangzhou, China. This news was not taken well by both the PFF and football supporters across the country. The reason of football’s exclusion by POA was due to the fact that football was not considered a ‘medal-worthy’ sport for the Asian Games, and also that the whole expenses of the football squad was to be POA’s sole responsibility.
While the cost-cutting reason by POA was understandable to an extent, to unceremoniously scrap football from 2010 Asian Games was in bad taste. The PFF had to plea POA and Asian Games organisers to reconsider their decision with the promise that the already cash-strapped PFF will bear all expenses of the football team to be sent to China! POA eventually relented barely 2 months before the Games were to take place.
The frantic last-minute squad registration and training camps for the Pakistan U23 team meant the team was not able to go at its full strength in terms of both match practice and squad. Many journalists in Pakistan ended up criticising PFF’s insistence on taking part, notably going after how PFF funded this team where the money could have rightly been used to desperately improve the Pakistan Premier Football League.
However, international experience was vital given how 2011 would bring Olympic qualifiers, AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers, World Cup qualifiers, and SAFF Championship. So PFF’s insistence on taking part is also understandable, worth praising rather, given how a new-look Pakistan team was in the making that desperately needed to compete!
The brave Pakistan team under Bahrain’s Salman Ahmed Sharida of the 2006 Asian Games that fought back to lose 2-3 against mighty Japan , 0-1 to a lucky North Korea U23, and 0-2 to a strong Syria left a legacy which PFF wanted to repeat in style. However in 2010, the Akhtar Mohiuddin coached team faced some heavy defeats at the hands of Thailand and Oman and unluckily drew 0-0 with Maldives; the botched penalty by defender Samar Ishaq still haunting football fans in Pakistan to this day! But the good news was that this new look Pakistan side just needed the right tactics, coaching, and experience to really take 2011 games by the horns!
The more football the better, right? Tell that to the Pakistan Olympic Association!
The returning 31st National Games scheduled to take place this month in Peshawar, once again under POA authority, saw football again become unceremoniously scrapped to make way for hockey and (would you believe it) Wushu – a sport not even recognised as Olympic-category by the IOC!
To exclude football from National Games, a more concise and manageable event compared to Asian Games!, by the POA is deplorable and unprofessional. The PFF and FPDC members strongly protest this step-child treatment of football by the POA.
PFF President Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, himself a member of the AFC Disciplinary Committee, was right to call in a press conference at PFF Football House in Lahore expressing his anger and disappointment because of POA’s continuously cynical attitude towards the beautiful game in this country.
PFF were right to state in their press conference that football has actually become a bigger sport domestically over the last few years compared to Hockey and other sports considered in National Games! To deny Pakistani footballers the chance to compete in such events is nothing short of damaging for the continuous growth and popularity of football in Pakistan. In fact, football has become strongly competitive with cricket in terms of popularity given the rise of football and fall of cricket in this country!
PFF President was correct to state that there are over 60,000 registered football players in Pakistan and the number of unregistered players, according to a rough estimate is more than one million.
One Million football players in Pakistan and counting!! Does Hockey even have 1/10th of that number today?!
One wonders why POA and PFF have so much antagonism with each other this past year. Is it based on differing opinions about how football should be treated in this country? Is it based on personal and political grudges that should have no relation whatsoever with sport? Does POA still treats football as some ‘token’ sport like yesteryears?
One can only speculate what is going on behind the scenes, but both the POA and PFF must work things out to resolve differences and re-include football in the National Games before its too late. Otherwise, the only thing that will suffer in this rift will be football, and football alone!
Ali Ahsan is Chief Editor, Forum Administrator, and Pakistan Correspondent for FootballPakistan.Com. All the views expressed in this article are of the author’s own personal opinions.
Quite frankly, who cares?
The National Games are a third class competition, with provinces and defence teams taking part in the football competition. What will happen is that trials will be held 3 days prior to kickoff and then a two day training camp and then the first match. So what’s the point?
The PFF should quit moaning and start focusing on improving the quality of the PPL and PFFL. At the domestic level, football does not need anything from the POA, except maybe some funding.
But I agree that the POA’s Asian Games decision was in poor taste.
it do have effect, it will effect football. it is an opportunity to compete both for players and the coaches. this can highlight many plus and minus points. you are right but i dont know why Champions League contender Manchester United play Carling Cup and Barcelona feels a fight for life in Copa del Ray.
Because those competitions are quality, professional competitions. The National Games football competition is bullshit. The teams and management are really amateur. It will not help football in Pakistan even 1%. The main improvement in quality of Pakistani football will come from PPL, PFFL, NFCC, and PFF Cup.
It seems to me that there has been signification tensions between PFF and POA over the course of this year. But I do agree that the National Games seem to be nothing more than an amateur sporting event that does little to help competition outside a select pool of pre-selected athletes to take part.
we dont care about the national games! the thing to note is the DISCRIMINATORY attitude towards football! why keep football down and football only, at all times!
the protest is against steps against football!
As I said, at the domestic level, the POA has no influence in football anyways, except for a little bit of funding. As long as they don’t try to sabotage Pakistan’s participation and performance in the Asian Games and Olympic football events, I really don’t give a damn what the POA does. The main thing is what is PFF doing to improve the quality of domestic football?
PFF league games are at Punjab Stadium and New Campus so that is not bad at all ;)
:) Yeah, but only because we have people such as you in Lahore who are willing to go to matches in Lahore and provide reviews and videos of the matches for FPDC.
However, the PFFL should not be divided into club and department phases and it should be played on a home and away league format. There are many improvements which the PFF needs to make to the PPL and PFFL.
first of all i want you guys to know that quyyum sports complex where the national sports complex is going to be played is a real good football stadium perhaps it was going to disturb all athletic events!
as for faisal salehh outburst no matter what he does how much he invests in football the governmetn is not going to forgive him and I will tell guys the story of 2002 the day faisal was elected president and how de made it to that seat soon.
As if!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pak football????????????????????????????