Sixteen teams vie for top berth

Sixteen teams vie for top berth

LAHORE – The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) will host 12th National Under-14 Festival of Football from February 19 to March 4, 2010 at the venue to be announced by PFF’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat during coming the PFF Congress.
Sahiwal will defend the title which clinched the trophy of 11th edition on February 6, 2009 when Tandlianwala-born left winger Rashid Noor fired the lone 56th minute goal as Sahiwal managed 1-0 win over NWFP to win at Lahore’s Model Town Football Academy (MTFA) Ground.
Faisal Saleh Hayat has also asked the PFF Operation Wing to take the event seriously and discourage over-age players as it is part of the Youth Development Program in order to collect fresh talent for future PFF assignments. The players born on or after January 1, 1996 will be eligible to play in coming U-14 event.
“The coming event is among the PFF missions to increase the football playing base, ensure a positive and enjoyable life experience for children and young adults by implementing programs and activities that raise the standard of performance overall and support the development of each individual player within the game of football in all Asian countries,” added Faisal.
The 16-team event will be comprised of top four teams of PFF Youth U-14 Cup, three U-14 teams of those organisations/clubs which had booked berth for Pakistan Premiership 2010 and semi-finalist of PFF League 2009. Host completes the frame with Northern Areas, FATA, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Islamabad with one team each from four provinces Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP and Balochistan.
The event will also help the PFF in making strong Pakistan U-14 team which will take on host Iran, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Maldives, Afghanistan in the South Asian Zone of nine-nation AFC U-14 Festival of Football at Iran from May 10 to 23, 2010.