LAHORE – The Pakistan Football Federation has hand over the reigns of the national team for the Olympics qualifying round to former coach Tariq Lutfi. He replaced Akhtar Mohiuddin as the head coach for the national team which started its preparation for the Olympic qualifiers against Malaysia on Saturday at the Model Town Ground in Lahore. Lutfi (PIA) will remain with the team for one year. His last spell for Pakistan was Pak-India Series six years ago. His first assignment in 2011 will be qualifying round of 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, are scheduled to take place in London, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. Pakistan will face Malaysia in the qualifiers with the first leg to be played in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 23 and the return leg in Pakistan on March 9. He was also coach of the inaugural SAFF Women Championship when Bangladeshi town Cox’s Bazar hosted the event last year. Tariq, first-ever FIFA coaching instructor from South Asia either in men or women soccer arena, is currently manager of PIA football team that finshed third in Pakistan Premier Football League, behind WAPDA (67 points) and KRL (58). Having got coaching qualification from Bisham Abbey, Zbigiew Szumuski, Tomi Salave Ivic, B.Trautman, Holger Osiek, Burkhard Ziese, Terry Cassie Dittmer Cramer, Lutfi attended several FIFA and Olympic courses. He represented top division team PIA from 1976-1985, which is a record nine time national champion team, Lutfi was also coach when in 2006, Jordan Football Association (JFA) hosted third Amman international Women Futsal Championship at Jordanian capital of Amman. Lutfi took over charge of national team for the first time in 1985 when A.H. Shahzad-led team toured Dhaka for the second SAF Games at Dhaka. His coaching skills were brilliant when he created record by winning all three league matches during 5th SAFF championship at Dhaka 2003. His other noticeable coaching assignments were 4th Quaid-i-Azam event, 10th Asian Games at Seoul 1986, 15th World Cup QR, Ist SAFF Championship 1993, 13th Asian Cup, 18th World Cup QR 2003 and Islamic Games, Indo-Pak Series 2005. He was also coach of Pakistan in 26th Asian YU19 Championship 1988 at Bahrain.
