SPORTS WORLD: Pakistan to take on Lanka on 7th: SAFF Championship to help restore Karachi's image

Karachi, deprived of major international sports events, is all set to host the 11-day eight-nation SAFF Championship from December 7.
The event will certainly improve the image of Karachi as a sports-loving city and remove the tag that it is unsafe for foreigners and foreign teams.
Unlike the ad hoc administration of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), which miserably failed to convince their counterparts in Australia, England, new Zealand, West Indies and South Africa regarding the law and order situation in Karachi, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has succeeded to convince the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) to award the SAFF Championship to Karachi.
Credit goes to PFF President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, who has been striving for the last two years to really develop and grow football in Karachi in particular and in the country in general.
Recognising the importance of Karachi, the PFF President has rightly said the SAFF Championship is an honour not only for Karachi, but also for Pakistan, which will prove a launching pad for football in the country.
The purpose of organising biannual SAFF Championship is to promote the game in South Asia. Launched at Lahore in 1993 as SAARC Gold Cup, but in 1997 it was renamed as the SAFF Championship.
The South Asia's regional event made its debut at Lahore in 1993 as
First SAARC Gold Cup.
After travelling to Sri Lanka, Nepal, India and Bangladesh, the event after being renamed as "SAFF Championship" returned to Pakistan. It may be recalled the PFF also offered to host the inaugural Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President's Cup at People's Sports Complex, but it slipped to Nepal, as the AFC delegation, comprising Indran Rasasingam and Imtiazur Rehman, who visited the stadium on March 26,were not satisfied with the facilities in the complex.
But now the Peoples Sports Complex, equipped with all the facilities, will host the mega event.
Since its inauguration by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Peoples Sports Complex has the honour of staging the Asian Cup Winner Cup match between KRL and Bec Tero Sasana on September 6, 2000, followed by Ulsan Hyundai (South Korea) tour of Pakistan in March 2002, AFC Under-20 Qualifiers in April 2002 and 18th World Cup 2006 Qualifiers in November 2003 in which Pakistan were defeated by Kyrgyzstan 0-2.
Completed in 1995, the stadium is among the most prestigious soccer centre in Asia.Peoples Sports Complex is the country's only floodlit football stadium that could accommodate 40,000 people. As far as sporting facilities are concerned, the Peoples Complex is no less prestigious than Islamabad's Jinnah Sports Complex, a symbol of Pak-China friendship.
SAFF TEAMS' VISITS:
Before awarding the championship to Karachi, a three-member SAFF delegation, comprising Bangladesh's Siraj-ul-Islam Bachchu, who is General Secretary of Dhaka-based SAFF, Operations Executive and representative of the marketing company, World Sports Group (WSC), Thomas Wheeler and Event Executive of the WSC Mohamed Shahrum Jabbar visited the stadium and watched a KPT-WAPDA's National Championship match under floodlights.
They expressed their satisfaction of the lighting and other arrangements for the night matches.
Four lighting towers, having a total of 300 bulbs, have been installed in the stadium. Besides, the stadium has the facilities of separate players changing rooms, technical delegates' room, conference room, commentary boxes, etc.
With the exception of tartan track, provision of which is there, it has a multi-purpose indoor gymnasium and a boxing arena, practice area for pugilists, canteen and 74 rooms around the stadium. Spread over an area of 10 acres, the affairs of People's Sports Complex are managed by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK).
All necessary additions and adjustments in the stadium are carried out as directed by the SAFF delegation, which visited the facilities twice earlier in August.
ARRANGEMENTS:
Meanwhile, The Sindh government and the officials of the CDGK have made elaborate arrangements to receive the visiting teams and provide maximum facilities to the soccer-crazy Karachiites.
Final touches are being given to the renovated complex.
The showpiece event will be participated by three-times champions India, holders Bangladesh, host Pakistan, 1995 champions Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan and Afghanistan.
OPENING MATCHES:
In the opening matches of the championship on December 7 the 1997 SAFF Championship bronze-medallist Pakistan will collide with Sri Lanka. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are being placed in Group "A" along with Maldives and Afghanistan. Bangladesh, who beat Maldives on penalties two years ago to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time, and India, champions in 1993, 1997 and 1999 SAARC Cup, will be vying for top spot in Group "B", which also includes Nepal and Bhutan.
SCHEDULE:
THE FOLLOWING IS SCHEDULE OF THE MATCHES:
December 07: Maldives v Afghanistan; and Pakistan v Sri Lanka.
December 08: Bangladesh v Bhutan; and India Nepal.
December 09: Maldives v Sri Lanka; and Pakistan v Afghanistan.
December 10: Bangladesh v Nepal; and India v Bhutan.
December 11: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan; and Pakistan v Maldives.
December 12: Nepal v Bhutan; and Bangladesh v India.
SEMI-FINALS:
December 14: Winner of Group "A" v Runner-up of Group "B"; and Winner of Group "B" v Runner-up of "A"
FINAL:
December 17: Winner of semi-finals.