Owen to meet PM, President, Army chief

ISLAMABAD: Former England ace striker Michael Owen is due to arrive on Tuesday (tomorrow) in Islamabad to brief Prime Minister Imran Khan on a roadmap to develop football in Pakistan.

The former Liverpool international’s tour is expected to trigger a fresh life in football in coordination with the Global Soccer Ventures (GSV).

Michael will meet PM Imran Khan and his Special Assistant Usman Dar to outline GSV’s football transformation programme for Pakistan.

He will attend a meet and greet session with the Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and conclude his Islamabad visit at a high-profile presidential reception hosted by President Arif Alvi.

In Karachi, on 26 January, Michael Owen will attend a press conference at NED University to officially hold a groundbreaking ceremony and release images to the world of Pakistan’s first-ever Soccer City.

Michael Owen said, “I am really excited to be at the helm of Pakistan’s largest football transformation programme and delighted to be discharged with the responsibility to take football to a whole new level in Pakistan”.

Zabe Khan CEO of GSV said, “There is not much to say when England’s pride and joy takes the top job to revive football in Pakistan. Michael has been a very loyal servant to Liverpool and his commitment and loyalty to making Pakistan a successful football nation seems relentless”.

Yasir Mahmood, Group Chairman of GSV, said, “It is a great honour for Pakistan to welcome Michael Owen to a country which needs a professional direction with football. All I can say is exciting times with football lie ahead.

“Football is here to stay with the GSV master plan by the implementation of its strategy for Pakistan. GSV will develop a sustainable grassroots plan, devise a Talent ID programme for international development in Europe, create lucrative professional pathways with international football contracts offering a career-changing lifestyle for the super talented, and develop a state of the art stadium starting with Karachi as the flagship soccer city at NED University featuring world-class sports science development.”