PFF official leaves for AFC’s meeting

KARACHI: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Head League Development and Media Shahid Khokhar will leave for Kuala Lumpur on Monday (today) to attend workshop of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President’s Development Initiative Core Development Goal-3 Regional Commercialisation, which will be conducted from May 24 to 26.

The workshop will encompass matters relating to football development, especially commercialisation, broadcasting and media rights strategy.The representatives of all South Asian nations will attend the workshop to be held at the AFC headquarters. Shahid will also meet on May 23 with the AFC’s directors to discuss with them club licensing and league development.

Club licensing and league development are important areas on which Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has already started working. Before the National Challenge Cup here early this month, Shahid had conducted a club licensing seminar in order to educate the departments and club teams top officials.

This correspondent has learnt that the response of the officials of the various outfits was encouraging.It has also been learnt that the PFF in the next step will approach the decision makers of various departments to enable them to follow AFC’s club licensing regulations ahead of the Premier League which will begin in October.

After that the PFF will issue them notices for implementation of club licensing regulations. Club licensing will enable the departmental outfits to acquire status of clubs and the independent entities will then be in a good position to create fan-base, attract sponsors and work efficiently for players’ development.

The PFF is eager to transform its Premier League into a semi-professional event in the coming season as different changes are on cards. The last three years of inactivity because of a conflict between the PFF and its rival group badly damaged the nation’s football. Pakistan missed international events during the three years and also failed to organise its Premier League.