SPORTS WORLD: Third National Football Championship from August 16: women footballers flexing their muscles

The third National Women Football Championship will get under way at Islamabad's Jinnah Stadium from August 16. In the eight-day event, 16 best women teams of the country, including defending champions Pakistan Wapda, will be vying for the top position.
With the success of the first national women championship held in 2005, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was serious about promoting the women soccer in the country and hired foreign women soccer coaches like Philippine's Cristina Ramos for the second national women championship in 2005 and Qatar's Dr Aneesa Al Hitmi for the second event in 2006
In the previous two championships, the girls love, commitment and eagerness for the game was tremendous. Now that the women football has come to stay and taking its roots, the PFF should ensure betterment of infrastructure and facilities needed to infuse more enthusiasm in women's football.
The PFF has made elaborate arrangements and organised training camps at Karachi and Lahore. With a view to making the event a success, the PFF has hired Germany's high profile coach Monika Staab to help the girls hone their skills.
It may be mentioned here that PFF President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has requested the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and German Football Association (DFB) to make possible the appearance of great women coach Monika Staab to train and select talented women footballers through country-wide tour for the third National Women Football Championship.
Monika, one of the pioneers of women football, has done a great job during her 11-year assignment with popular Frankfurt outfit FFC. She helped the FFC to win 10 titles in domestic and European competitions. Soon after her arrival in Karachi, Monika Staab supervised training of probable of Karachi team Aga Khan University Hospital ground on July 25.
Speaking at the camp, Monika stressed upon the trainers to make sincere efforts for the uplift of women soccer in Pakistan. She said: "For the backing of every game, money is essential. Similarly, money is also needed for women's soccer in Pakistan, but what is more important is that women should be engaged and attracted to the game."
"For me, it is important that ladies are playing football in Pakistan and it was made possible by dedication of PFF President Faisal Saleh Hayat." She was impressed by zeal shown by women footballers for the game, and said: "Girls are playing and nobody is asking why they are playing football. It is a healthy sign considering the cultural barriers."
Monica said though Germany was now World and European champion in women soccer, even then women were not allowed initially to play like men did, but now things had changed. Women soccer in Germany took 37 years to make an impression and find its place on to world soccer map. We came such a long way, whereas Pakistan has just started the women soccer," she said.
"It's very exciting for the girls and I will help them hone their skills. It will bear fruit in future. The PFF is serious about escalation of women soccer and I have come to know that foreign women soccer elite like Philippine's Cristina Ramos and Qatar's Dr Aneesa Al Hitmi visited Pakistan. The women soccer is new in Pakistan and to put scattered girls into firm platform, such coaching clinics are required."
During her stay in Pakistan, Monica will conduct coaching clinics at the four provincial headquarters. After attending the Karachi camp, Monika reached Lahore to supervise the Month-long women football training programme, which started on July 23. She is accompanied by Assistant FIFA Development Officer Mohsen Gilani and FIFA Women coaching instructor Tariq Lutfi during her visit of various cities until August 15.
She will also be among four-member selection committee in choosing 35 best women football players during the national championship to undergo training camp for the preparation of first-ever-National Women football team.
COACHING CAMP: Meanwhile, Pakistan WAPDA has selected 50 girls, who are undergoing training at the five-day coaching clinic under the supervision of Monika Staab at Wapda Sports Complex, Kot Lakhpat. Besides, 25 more girls are expected to join the camp.
Of the 50 girl footballers, 24 of them are gold medallists of the second national Championship, while 26 girls of newly formed Lahore's Sports Sciences Women Club. Her next assignment will be from August 11 to 15 when she will train and pick talented girls of Peshawar, FATA, Northern Areas, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Islamabad.