PFF donates Rs0.1 to President’s Relief Fund
Faisal watches National Soccer trials
By M Bilal

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Sunday watched national football trials and also donated Rs. 100,000 for the earthquake-victims relief.
Faisal, who is also the President of Pakistan Football Federation, gave away the donation of Rs. 100,000 to the President’s Relief Fund for quake affectees.
Also accompanying him to the four-day trials at Pakistan Sports Complex was the national football coach, Suleman Ahmad Shirada who has been hired by PFF from Bahrain.
Nearly 40 players appeared on the opening day of the trials while the national selection committee, led by Col. Younis Changezi, will watch another batch of 30-odd players in action over the coming days.
“We will shortlist 30-35 players for the trip to Dhaka (Bangladesh) next month|, the chief selector Col. Younis Changezi told newsmen. “But these players will also attend the camp training for subsequent assignments such as SAARC Championship to be held in Pakistan in December”, he said.
Pakistan will play the away qualification match against Bangaldesh for the Asia Cup on November 11 and then entertain the same opponents at home for a qualification tie on November 18.
The selection committee will also take a look at the players of Pakistan Army and Wapda which were scheduled to play the final of first-ever Pakistan Premier Soccer League at Army Stadium later on Sunday night.
The PFF President Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat was to be the chief guest on the occasion.
Talking with newsmen, Pakistan’s Bahraini coach Suleman Ahmad Shirada, lent by the government of Bahrain to PFF, said that he would asses the strength of various leading teams of the country over the coming days before working with national senior and junior lots on long term basis.
“I need to see the players in competitive matches before selecting the talented players and working with them on long term basis”, said Shirada who has also coached Bahrain’s national senior and junior teams.
It was Shirada who coached the Bahrain side that beat Japan 1-0 in away qualification match for the World Cup. Under his coaching, Bahrain has beaten such strong Asian teams as Iran and Qatar.