FIFA mission completes briefing to PFF

KARACHI: The two-member delegation of FIFA completed its briefings to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on FIFA Forward Development Programme, PFF said on Sunday.

“Deliberations on the revival and development of football in Pakistan completed here in Lahore for which FIFA mission, headed by Sanjeevan Balasinga, FIFA’s Director of Member Associations for Asia & Oceania, had reached Pakistan on Friday to brief the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on the FIFA Forward (Development) Programme,” PFF said.

It added that the main objective of this visit was to discuss how PFF could benefit from the FIFA Forward Programme which was launched in 2016 by FIFA through which it has substantially increased its financial support for its members.

The FIFA mission briefed the PFF staff on the utility and technical aspects of the Programme. The PFF staff was also apprised about the procedures to be followed and the requirements to be fulfilled while claiming the Programme Funds.

PFF was represented by its Vice President Naveed Haider Khan, General Secretary Lt Col (R) Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi, Director Finance, Director Admin, Deputy General Secretary, Technical Director and Head League Development and Media.

PFF president Faisal Saleh Hayat warmly welcomed the FIFA delegates and thanked its president Gianni Infantino for sending the officials to support PFF. “PFF is grateful to the FIFA President for his keen interest in the development of football in Pakistan,” he said.

He said he was satisfied that his request to FIFA for sending a delegation to discuss the overall development of the game was met immediately. The PFF chief declared the Programme a very important one.

“The Programme is . . . of very high value, the core feature of which is to provide tailor-made solutions to the FIFA MAs,” the president added.Sanjeevan said it is a significant opportunity for the PFF to first recuperate from the losses that occurred due to the stoppage of the game for the last three years and then take football in Pakistan to new heights by utilising the support.

Naveed said that these are important days for the PFF. “PFF is working hard to revive football in Pakistan. “We are in the planning phase and the direction set here will matter for the development of the game,” Naveed said.

FIFA’s support to the football of Pakistan through the Programme would be very important, he said.Lt Col Lodhi said the initiative would help PFF as it provides sufficient funds to revive football as per the vision of game development recently approved by the PFF executive committee on March 17.

It is pertinent to mention here that this is the first visit of FIFA delegation following the settlement of the PFF dispute which has destroyed the country’s football because of the three-year long barren patch during which Pakistan did not feature in any international event.

The Lahore High Court a few days ago restored PFF which enabled it to regain possession of its headquarters in Lahore.As a result, FIFA restored PFF’s membership which it had suspended on October 10 last year.