The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has officially announced the launch of its Football For Schools programme.
It is a nationwide effort that aims to distribute over 150,000 footballs to educational institutions throughout Pakistan during an AFC Grassroots Day celebration held at the Jinnah Stadium within the Pakistan Sports Complex.
The announcement was made by PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani at an event that gathered 56 young athletes, eight teams of seven, evenly divided between boys and girls for a day dedicated to grassroots football, highlighting the sport’s importance in communities nationwide.
Pakistan’s celebration was part of the 13th AFC Grassroots Football Day, which saw a record participation of 45 Member Associations joining the Asian Football Confederation to commemorate the annual event held on May 23 in conjunction with FIFA’s World Football Week, allowing the AFC to further support the United Nations’ Football for the Goals initiative.
On the occasion, President Gilani shared, “Grassroots is a football factory from where the final product is nurtured and developed.”
“The journey for kids begins at the grassroots level before they can eventually compete at a national stage. This AFC Grassroots Day was organised by the PFF to emphasise that grassroots football is a fundamental priority for the PFF.”
The Football For Schools programme is set to be officially launched in the near future, with the extensive distribution of footballs aimed at improving access to the sport within school settings across the nation.
President Gilani further termed it a part of a wider array of youth programmes that the federation plans to implement.
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