KARACHI: Leisure Leagues announced here on Monday that it was set to launch five-, six- and seven-a-side football in Pakistan, most probably from January next year.
The disclosure was made at a media launch here at the British Deputy High Commission on Monday.
Leisure Leagues, a UK-based company, has been running leisure leagues in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and America for the last two and a half decades.
“In order to market leisure leagues in Pakistan a nationwide campaign for registration is planned with ATL and BTL support for players of all ages and genders,” said Tim Ollerenshaw. “It will not only involve schools and colleges but also professionals from different walks of life,” Tim said.
“Leisure Leagues is the oldest, small-sided league supplier in the UK and the largest network of leagues in Europe with thousands of teams playing at hundred of venues each week,” Tim said.
He said leisure leagues would help players in Pakistan become international players, get scholarships in foreign varsities and employment abroad.
“Players will also get a chance to be trained by international coaches and play on thousands of football pitches in Pakistan,” Tim said.
British Deputy High Commissioner Belinda Lewis said: “Football, a tremendously popular sport in the UK, is also fast developing in Pakistan which is encouraging.
“This league will provide a much-needed platform for young talent in Pakistan to come forward, acquire the skills necessary to play football at an international level,” she said.
Later talking to reporters the organisers said that the players could register themselves in the league through a text message at 9818.
They revealed that initially the organisers would use the already available venues in Pakistan and that a plan was there to give new pitches to the country which they said had been in the world’s top 20 nations in terms of footballers.
They said that according to FIFA three million footballers were in Pakistan.
A couple of days ago during a media briefing Stuart Winton of Leisure Leagues had said that women leagues were also among the plans of the organsisers.
The organisers also said that any one of any age could register for the leagues. Denmark-based Pakistani player Hassan Bashir said it would help the players to keep fit.
Denmark-based Mohammad Ali said that the leagues would provide a platform to the talented lot of the country. “Teams like KRL, NBP and K-Electric would also get an opportunity to recruit players for national duty,” Ali said.
Also present were former acting President Mian Mohammad Soomro, England-based midfielder Adnan Ahmed, Denmark-based striker Mohammad Ali, goalkeeper Yousuf Butt, Denmark-based Hassan Bashir, winger Mohammad Adil, US-based Kaleemullah and Pakistan Boxing Federation’s (PBF) president Doda Khan Bhutto.