PFL plans impressed Alvi, claims SGV

KARACHI: The Global Soccer Ventures’ (GSV) plans to hold the first-ever franchise-based Pakistan Football League (PFL) have impressed President Dr Arif Alvi.

“The plans are very exciting and more importantly realistic,” Alvi said during a meeting with a delegation of the GSV in Islamabad on Wednesday.

“The GSV is what Pakistan needs and they will work without any affiliation to any PFF faction and with no interference from the FIFA Normalisation Committee,” Alvi said. “Football needs experts like GSV to create a new sports economy in Pakistan,” said Alvi, as quoted by the PFL organisers.

Alvi held talks with the GSV Board members including its chairman Yasir Mehmood, CEO Zabe Khan and COO Saqib Rafiq Chaudhry.

The organisers said that the PFL brand ambassador and former English striker Michael Owen had sent a public message on twitter, saying he planned to meet Alvi in Pakistan soon.

Zabe Khan said that the UK-Pakistan partnership would flourish. “The UK and Pakistan partnership in football is all set to flourish in a sustainable development plan to finally give Pakistan a level playing field to meet international standards,” Zabe said.

GSV chairman Yasir said that football all over the world belonged to the private sector. “So why should Pakistan be any different? It is about time we revived 70 years of football lost in translation and misinterpreted by many.

“GSV is investing and creating a new sports economy in Pakistan worth $60 million over the next five years,” he said.

“The stadium design and schedule was disclosed to President Arif Alvi.

“The state of the art stadium has created a sense of excitement among senior government officials in Pakistan,” he said.