National Women Football C’ship begins today

KARACHI: National Women Football Championship, featuring 19 teams, will kick-off here at two different venues on Tuesday (today).

As many as 20 teams had to feature in the competitions but Model Town WFC pulled out of it. A source said that the club was not happy with the financial assistance from the organisers. On the first day of the event which will last until April 3, four matches will be conducted.

WAPDA will face Gilgit WFC and Karachi United will lock horns with Karachi WFC here at KMC Stadium at 10am and 1pm, respectively. In the other matches Hazara Girls Academy will take on Hazara Quetta and Masha United will be pitted against Sialkot City WFC here at KPT Stadium at 10am and 1pm, respectively.

The 19 teams have been clubbed in four groups. The Group A features WAPDA, Gilgit WFC, Hazara Girls Academy and Hazara Quetta. Karachi WFC, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Masha United and Sialkot City WFC have been put in the Group B.

The Group C contains Army, JAFA, Young Rising Stars, Riaz Kamil WFC and FC Karachi. The Group D carries Diya Women FC, Mohsin Gilani WFC, Nawanshehr United and Highlanders FC. The top two teams will qualify for the quarter-finals from each group, while the remaining three teams will play the Development Stage.

The third placed team will wait for one of the fourth and fifth placed teams — who will play the Development Stage’s quarter-finals — in the semi-finals. All matches will be streamed live at MyCujoo.tv, a football streaming website and mobile application. In this edition of the NWFC, PFF has increased the amount for team and individual awards. The winners of the event will be awarded Rs1 million, the runners up Rs750,000, the third-placed team will win Rs500,000 while the Development Stage winners will take home Rs50,000. The individual awards — which include awards for players who perform in a certain position, coaches and referees — are set to be worth Rs925,000. The Group Stages will end on March 24. The final will be played at the KPT Stadium on April 3. The Development Stage quarter-finals and semi-finals will be held from March 26 to 31 at the Aga Khan Gymkhana Ground. The final will be played at the KMC Stadium on April 2.