Pakistan Times!

LAHORE: Begum Shafquatun Nisa, Nazim of Lahore’s Shalimar Town, has hailed Pakistan Football Federation for taking concrete steps in boosting women football in Pakistan and giving encouragement by awarding prize money to players in three National Women Football Championships held at Islamabad from 2005-07. Shafquatun Nisa, who was chief guest when inaugural National Women Football Club Championship commenced at Punjab University, Old Campus Ground on 1 Cust Road, said money was vital for the promotion of women’s soccer in Pakistan but sincerity and efforts for engaging more girls was the key to success.

“Money is no doubt needed for women’s soccer, but what is more important is that women should be engaged and attracted to the sport. We need sincere efforts and dedication from a coach, be it man or woman, for the promotion of women’s football in Pakistan,” said Shafquatun Nisa, former student of Queen Mary College who is the first-ever female Town Nazim in Lahore after independence. The entrance of 17 teams in the first-ever women club event showed PFF is relying on educated ladies, having sporting background, for uplift of women soccer. The base of every sport is the strengthening of club culture and the attendance of so many clubs within few years showed that PFF is going all out for the promotion of this game among feminine.” she added

Town Nazim since October 2005, she added although conservative dress code for women in Pakistan may not be a stumbling block on way to success, followers of the game should be patient to yield positive results. She believed as Pakistan had taken a start from scratch in women’s football, it would take some years to make an impression in the world. According to PFF Women Wing Administrator Aqeela Rehman, the ongoing club event will not only yield National Women Football Club Champion of Pakistan but it is also acting as Qualifiers for Fourth National Women championship scheduled for August 2008. The semi-finalists of club event will automatically qualify for PFF Women Wing’s blue-ribald event.-SANA

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