Tajikistan seeks PFF technical support

LAHORE—Tajikistan Football Federation (TFF) has sought cooperation and technical assistance from Pakistan Football Federation to help revive the game in Tajikistan.
“We are optimistic that PFF will extend its cooperation and technical support to help develop football in our country where the game suffered badly due to a civil war”, said Major General Kosimov Suhrob, President, TFF, in a telephonic interview with APP on Friday.
He said because of almost a decade long unrest in the country, they have now picked it up from scratch and at least five to seven years sincere efforts at all levels are needed to help revive the game, which was very popular here.
“It is time for our friendly countries to come forward and help us in terms by extending technical support and equipment and by this way we can give boost to our ongoing efforts at grass roots level to promote football”, said the TFF Chief.
“We are in the process of raising infrastructure by building stadiams, and constructing more grounds to provide facilities to youth and we need technical help from Pakistan alongwith equipment”, he said.
General Suhrob said once they were the top state to produce best football players who used to play in top most soviet union and eastern europe leagues.
“Now we are struggling to promote football because there is no football sponsorship and the task look difficult under these circumstances”, he said.
TFF Chief said they have 45 football clubs and sixty thousand people are playing football out of a seven million population and they have a number of leagues being played to develop the game besides five new stadiams were also built in the previous three years when he took over as the President of the Federation. “My ultimate objective is to see my team among best in Asia and then to qualify for the World Cup in future”.
He said PFF will invite Pakistan team to take part in their independence day cup international tournament which will be played in October next year.
“Besides we want to send our team to Pakistan to play test series which will also promote friendly ties between the two countries”, he said adding “we have special value for Pakistan because it was among those countries who recognised us soon after we got independence from Soviet Union in 1992”.
He disclosed that soon they will start building the FIFA goal project and with the creation of the facility they will be having a modern institution for the development of the game. “At the moment Japan Football Association is helping us for the development of the game by providing funds besides cooperation of FIFA and AFC”, he said.
TFF President proposed the idea of having a tri nation football tournament involving, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan and said it can promote football in the region.—APP