ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Football Super League (PFSL), involving foreign players will be held in October, this year at three different venues, FATA Olympic Association President Shahid Khan Shinwari announced on Monday.
“It is a ten-year plan. In the inaugural edition five franchises will field their teams in the league,” he told media at a news briefing here at media centre of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).
Shinwari, who is also reigning FATA Football Association President and former national footballer said that the league would be staged at Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. “We’ll take along Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) and hold meetings with them. We will also write them to grant us NOC (no objection certificate) for the league,” he said.
He said the league would not be materialized without the government support adding that the final shape to the league would be given with the government cooperation.
He said players would be selected under three categories, platinum, gold and silver. In the platinum category players from world cup playing nations including Brazil, Spain, Russia as well as from Asian countries will be selected. Each team will have two foreign players under this category,” he added.
He said Pakistan’s current international footballers would be selected under the gold category, while in silver category country’s emerging players would be selected.
“This first of these exhibition fixtures will take place on Thursday at Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad between a club from FATA and an Islamabad and Wah Club team,” he added.
He said Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani would be chief guest of this match. “We have also invited country’s legendary players to witness this match,” he added.
He asked the PFF to grant voting rights to FATA Football Association. “We were affiliated with PFF in 2011. Now this is our eighth year with them but still we have not been granted voting rights. The associations of different sports such as taekwondo, ju-jitsu, hockey, volleyball got voting rights after two to three years. So I ask PFF to also grant us voting rights. When FATA will have its representation in PFF meetings then PFF will get very good suggestions from us. The PFF can get plenty of talented player from FATA.”
He said he had held meetings with Secretary IPC and other officials and they had assured that Pakistan’s grounds that would hold PSLF matches would be provided all necessary facilities.
