Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has said government will promote football at grassroots level and produce world class footballers in the country.
Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat who is also President of Pakistan Football Federation stated this while addressing a press conference after distributing medals to the winners of 9th SAF Games-2004, here at Media Center Jinnah Stadium of Pakistan Sports Complex, on Monday night.
Pakistan defeated India by a solitary goal and won Gold medal in the final of 9th SAF Football-2004 here at Jinnah Stadium.
Faisal said that Prime Minister had already announced Rs 1 million to winner of each SAF Games gold medal.
He said the Chinese Football coach for Pakistani players will also be given a cash award of Rs 10000 and players will he given Rs 0 5 million besides the same amount announced earlier for the team.
He said Rs 50,000 would also be awarded to striker Abdul Aziz who scored the goal against in the final against India.
The Minister thanked Allah Almighty for bestowing success to Pakistan in the final match.
He commended the excel lent performance of Pakistani footballers in the final with India and winning a Gold medal for the country.
The President Pakistan Football Federation also lauded the efforts of selection committee, including Hafiz Salman Butt, Arshad Lodhi and their training by the Chinese Coach, Wang, which played a role for the success of Pakistani footballers in the Final Faisal reiterated the government's commitment of giving the merit-only criteria for selection of the sports teams,
He also lauded the performance of Indian players in the match.
"We will bring the football at par with other important games and special attention will be given to the game to achieve this objective," he remarked.
Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat said that Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has more than 220 members and the match is liked and played in these countries.
He regretted that in the past due attention to football was not given adding the present government is determined to promote the game in order to produce world class footballers and popularise the game.
All these efforts, he said, required a large amount and added government has established a marketing department to invite and encourage maximum number of sponsors for the promotion of the game.
He also called upon the business community to play their role in this regard by sponsoring Football in the country for welfare of the players and to achieve excellent results.
"We will promote the football at grassroots level including in schools and colleges to produce world class footballers in the country," he remarked.
The Interior Minister expressed the hope that the 9th SAF Games held here in Pakistan would help promote peace and friendship among the SAARC member countries.
He said that bilateral football matches will also be played in various member countries and in this next week Pakistani under 14 football team will visit Nepal and play games there.
He said Pakistan Football Federation would arrange special training for its players adding that FIFA has assured Pakistan for proving technical assistance and training coaches for our players.
He said that players will be given employment opportunities on priority basis in order to provide them a respectable earning for their families.
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