Lahore, 11 April : Johar Town’s Lahore Grammar School, Sargodha University and Abbottabad’s Hazara Shaheen will make debut when the fourth edition of National Women Football Club Championship 2011 will be played from 15-27 April 2011 simultaneously at five zones viz Quetta, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar.
The top two teams of Lahore and Islamabad zone will travel, alongwith Champion of Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar Zone, into 7th National Women Championship slated to run at Islamabad’s Jinnah Stadium from 17-30 September 2011. The field for qualification expanded to seven from four. The four qualifiers last year were Frontier College of Peshawar, Karachi’s Diya FC, Lahore’s Sport Sciences and Rawalpindi’s Young Rising Star. It was sensational when Rawalpindi girls went on to win the National Women title, brushing aside WAPDA 2-0 in the 5th August final.
Diya FC will be hot favorites to win Karachi Zone where other teams will be Marta Club, Karachi Kickers and The City FC. Having services of Mehwish Khan, first ever goal scorer of Pakistan in international women circuit, Diya Women FC had the honor of visiting Sri Lanka in 2007 and Malaysia in 2008 and were bronze medallist in 3rd National Women Football Championship 2007.
Hajra Khan, who finished top scorer in 2008 with nine goals and adjudged Most valuable player (MVP) last year winning the “Misha Dawood Trophy” is also in squad alongwith 2007 event’s MVP Marium Laghari.
Punjab University’s Sports Sciences who finished runner up to Malavan Bandar Anzali of Iran in 2009 national event will show their prowess in Lahore Zone. They will face LUMS and Johar Town’s newcomer Lahore Grammar School in Group A while popular Model Town Club is pitted with Fatima and Lahore Fighters in Group-B. Sports Sciences, that provided Pakistan the first ever women football skipper Ishrat Fatima, have not missed the top three spot in National Championship since winning the 2007 event.
Islamabad Zone will see energetic Young Rising Star of Rawalpindi, having Sana Mehmood wrapping captain’s arm band, in action who won the National Championship twice in 2008 and 2010. They will tackle debutants Sargodha Universirty, Hazara Shaheen, Margala Club and YRS Layyah.
Frontier College, Striker Club, Peshawar Club and FATA Club will appear in Peshawar Zone while Quetta Zone will dig out a qualifier after matches between Chiltan Club, Roshni Club, Quetta Junior and Balochistan United.