ISLAMABAD – The newly-elected President of Pakistan Football Federation(PFF), Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah said on Sunday he had more than enoughevidence to prove before FIFA (Fédération Internationale de FootballAssociation) that football had been damaged in Pakistan.“We are going to tell them the facts and figures as what has happened withfootballin Pakistan. I hope they (FIFA) will understand the reality,” he told APP.Ashfaq, who brought to an end Faisal Saleh Hayat’s 15-year reign afterwinningWednesday’s PFF elections that took place at the Supreme Court Buildingsaid that FIFAhad only been given one side of the story.He said that the letter sentto PFF by FIFA, the global game governing body ahead of elections wasrespondedby another body. “Throughout the election period, a negative message hasbeen given to them (FIFA). Now we are waiting for a chance when they callus and we tell them the true picture,” he added.Spelling out his plans, hesaid he had only one priority and that was to raise the standard offootball inPakistan. “Although football is a general public game, people in ourcountry evendon’t know whether it exists here or not. The reason is that during the pastseveral years only politics has been done and no practical step taken todevelop it here,” he said.Ashfaq said he wanted totake a fresh start and did not want to discuss the past. “The past isbitter. I don’t want todiscuss even that. I believe in one thing, let us make a history and notdiscuss the history”,he reckoned.He said he wanted to take unique steps to raise standard of football inPakistan. “The currentposition is that out of 213 countries we are at number 204 in football.That meanspractically no football is left in the country and you have to start fromthe zero.”He said the new body would have to work on several things to bring theactual footballon ground.“We’ve to encourage football right from the grassroots level till the top.We’ll go to the school level.We’ll talk to colleges and universities. We’ll have to set up academies toengage people at thetehsil and district levels. People will come up from there and makefootball popularin Pakistan.”“It is not like sitting inthe drawing room and talking from there. We’ve to go into the field by allmeans to find people and bring football on ground in actual sense,” headded.Ashfaq said he was anoptimist and believed things could be done provided work was done in theright direction. “I’m also optimistic because the new PFF team is comprisedof football lovers. They are the people who have sacrificed their time,money and everything for football. Everyone is enthusiastic and wants to dosomething for the game. Everyone wants to give a new light and path tofootball in Pakistan,” he said.He also appealed to thegovernment to provide grounds to the federation for promoting football inthecountry. “We don’t have sufficient number of grounds. We’ll approach allauthorities and request them for the betterment of football.”He thanked Supreme Court ofPakistan for making free and fair PFF elections possible. “Special thanks tomedia also for highlighting the realities and presenting the facts as theyare.We’ll need more help from media because presently people are not paying anyattention to football. We’ve to give respect to football and for that weneedcoverage.
Out of 213 Football Nations across World, Where does Pakistan stand?
