Lahore, 24 February: LOC Vice Chairman Lt.Col ® Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi asked all members of Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Sub Committees, Liaison officers, volunteers, ball boys to go all out for the prestige of Pakistan and Pakistan soccer in making the Pakistan-Palestine Lahore tie a fabulous event. Lodhi chaired meeting of the LOC designed for coming Pakistan-Palestine Lahore clash today at FIFA Football House, Lahore.
Lodhi, also PFF Secretary General, discussed various important issues with other LOC Vice Chairmans Arshad Khan Lodhi, Salman Ejaz, Muhammad Rana Tahir and Wing Comm ® Pervaiz Saeed Mir who has been designated as Organizing Secretary. Other in-field and off-the-field matters and several side line issues were discussed in the meeting with eleven Sub-Committees to tackle the historical clash in befitting manner. The Sub Committees is made up of Transport and Accommodation, Reception & Protocol, Purchase and Finance, Ground and Training Venue, Event Management & Marketing, Security, Accreditation, Media/Publicity, Medical, Entertainment/Seating Plan plus PFF Secretariat Committee for home internationals.
Earlier last week, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat had approved Haseeb Athar-led LOC for Lahore Football Test to be played between Pakistan and Palestine on 1 March at Punjab Stadium, Ferozpur Road.” All out efforts had been made to make the first match of Pakistan-Palestine four Test Series a great success at picturesque Punjab Stadium. He said that with soccer lovers PFF has been in the forefront of sporting activities in Pakistan and also tackled such international assignments in past with befitting manner, receiving praise from FIFA and AFC.” added Faisal in his message who is also AFC Executive Committee Member, FIFA and World Disciplinary Committee member and Chairman AFC Disciplinary Committee..
PFF Marketing Director Sardar Naveed Haider Khan, also head of Media/Publicity Committee and LOC member alongwith Lt.Col ® Farasat Ali Shah, Nadia Naqvi, Siddiq Sheikh, Agha Latif, Agha Noor Ahmed Shah, Tanveer Zia Butt, Ghous Ullah, Qamar Yar Khan, Khalid Mehmood, Rana Ibrar Anwar, said that several Committees are already working to tackle the prestigious show in fine style, and lush green grass will be seen in stadium at Punjab Stadium and referees/players will feel comfortable on it. In order to add beauty to historical match, arrangements of several items to fascinate the spectators are underway. It will be seventh international soccer activity at Punjab Stadium in during last six years and first after four years. The stadia hosted Pakistan-India match in 2005 and Pakistan-Jordan Asian Cup clash in 2006 and Olympic matches against Singapore, Kuwait and Bahrain and World Cup Qualifiers against Iraq in 2007.
“We assured our guests from every nook of Asia that PFF is making foolproof security arrangements and there is no cause for any sort of worry, The security arrangements will be upto the mark and a sufficient number of police officials and rangers will be in attendance to prevent any untoward incident during the event, added Security Committee Chairman Lt.Col. Farasat Ali Shah.
“We will left no stone unturned to make the first-ever international soccer match on Pakistani soil after a lapse of four years a terrific occasion. A long wait of an international event for four years will be over on 1 March when Lahore will stage an event of enormous attraction with Palestine booters arriving in Pakistan for the first time. The city did arrange 5th Quaid-i-Azam International tourney in 1987 but that was invitational event. PFF is serious about hosting international soccer event each year. PFF hosted SAF Games soccer in 2004, 6th SAFF Championship in 2005, AFC U14 Festival of Football in 2006 and third AFC President’s Cup. AFC awarded all the shows to Pakistani soil due to PFF’s glorious planning since August 2003′” Faisal added.
Faisal also assured that Pakistan will not miss any soccer of FIFA or AFC as was the case in past “In order to improve your play and to keep up the pace with other 207 members of FIFA, it is essential that Pakistan should appear in every assignments of FIFA and AFC. We are looking for hosting rights of more AFC events and soccer lovers in Pakistan will see AFC Challenge Cup in future,” said Faisal.