President’s Cup in Chaman from August 1

KARACHI: The President’s Cup, carrying 16 leading football sides of the country, will be held at the Essa Khan Football Academy Ground in Chaman, Balochistan, from August 1-18.

The chief organiser, former Pakistan captain Mohammad Essa, told ‘The News’ on Friday that the teams would be divided in four groups. The top two teams from each group would qualify for the quarter-finals, he said.

Essa said that it was important to hold such events because there had been no activities since the conflict between two groups of football officials began. “It will give a sort of match practice to the players who have been inactive for so long,” he said.

Essa’s academy pitch has fine grass. This is the first grassy pitch in Chaman, which is considered the hub of football in Balochistan.

The pitch is located close to the Afghan border and a huge crowd is expected to throng the venue. “There is a great craze for the game here and I expect a huge crowd,” said Essa, who has made a wonderful solar energy-based watering system for his academy that maintains the lush green pitch.

Teams: K-Electric, WAPDA, SSGC, Pak Afghan, PTV, Army, KRL, Navy, Afghan FC, SNGPL, PAF, NBP, Police, Muslim FC, PIA, KPT, Karachi United and Baloch Club Nushki.