Lahore, 2 March: The officials /players of Pakistan and Palestine and match Technical officials have appreciated the untiring effort of ball-boys who were seen in action during the First Test match between two countries at Punjab Stadium, Lahore on Tuesday.
“They put up fine show and their timely throw-in into the pitch and retrieval was praiseworthy and second to none. Five years ago, the same coach Sheikh Mohammad Siddique Qadri of Lahore provided the 16 ball boys for Pakistan-Jordan Asian Cup match from the platform of Garhi Shahue Football Academy (GSFA). The best among them was pocket-size Muhammad Abu Zar Khan who himself looks alike a football. His dedication, commitment was appreciable and it convinced me to announce cash prize from my pocket,” said PFF Marketing Director Sardar Naveed Haider Khan, who joined PFF nine days before that match against Jordan and decorated the stadium with his characteristic style. “Later on, two of them Wahab Mehmood, Naveed Sadiq represented Pakistan in AFC U13 Festival of Football at Bangladesh 2007.”
Siddique Qadri, an international, who himself played against Palestine eleven years ago and who assisted AFC Instructor Mike Wong Mun Heng (Singapore) in the AFC B-Certificate Football Coaching Course 2006 at FIFA Football House, Lahore once again provided the ball boys. He also trained ball boys who were appointed by PFF for 29th Olympics Games Qualifiers ( Pakistan v Singapore, Pakistan v Bahrain), third AFC President’s Cup and Pakistan-Iraq World Cup Qualifier at same arena in 2007.
“To groom young boys of around eight is not an easy job but I achieved my goal in full cooperation from another AFC AID 27 coach Muhammad Rasheed. I did my effort with day/night efficiency and it is not a mere achievements for me as my boys won the heart of PFF’s top-brass, and even Pakistan coach Tariq Lutfi and Palestine coach Mouzza Bezaz appreciated the work of youngsters.’
“My gratification and thanks to PFF President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat for giving my boys opportunity to show their progress on Punjab Stadium pitch once again. The heroic work of PFF boss for soccer promotion will be remembered ever. Myself will continue to support PFF whenever they would call us,” said Qadri who represented Pakistan in 12th Asian Cup football at Doha, Qatar in 2000. British coaches John Layton and David Burn picked him for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s showpiece event which speaks of his quality.
The twenty ballboys, trained by AFC AID 27 coaches Muhammad Rasheed and Siddiq Qadri were Bilal Waheed, Zohaib, Saad, Talha, Harris, Mehroz, Jeery, Anil, Waleed, Bukhtiar, Qamar, Taimur, Sami Ullah, Kamran, Hammad, Nauman, Kabir, Usman, Irfan and Ghias on Tuesday.