KARACHI: While the cricket boards of Pakistan and India argue over which nation would host the Asia Cup, relations between the two football federations are comparatively more peaceful.
Following the draw for South Asia’s premier football event on Wednesday, India is eager to welcome Pakistan’s football team for the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru the following month. The two teams were placed in the same group.
In an interview with Dawn after the draw, All India Football Federation general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran stated that Pakistan will experience a “welcoming and secure environment” while competing.
The South Asian Football Federation and the Pakistan Football Federation Normalisation Committee have already inked a participation agreement for the event that runs from June 21 to July 4.
Arch-rivals On the first day, Pakistan and India will square off, with Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Lebanon, the second invited team, making up Group ‘B’.
Shaji Prabhakaran, India’s senior football official, is optimistic that Pakistan would be warmly entertained throughout the tournament in Bengaluru from June 21 to July 4.
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With the AIFF eager to welcome the squad with open arms, the Haroon Malik-led PFF NC has stated its preparedness to send the team to the regional competition. The friendly ties between the two organisations stand in sharp contrast to those between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Board of Cricket Control in India.
The PCB’s hybrid concept, which would have given India a chance to host the Asia Cup in Pakistan, was rejected by the BCCI, which also declined to send its squad there.
However, Prabhakaran does not anticipate that the cricketing altercation will affect the SAFF Championship.
“We are the SAFF Championship’s hosts, and we think that all of the South Asian Region’s teams should be able to participate. We are cooperating with the authorities as is our obligation, he declared.
“FIFA’s mission statement is that they want to bring the globe together via football. As a FIFA Member Association, we abide by their established charter, which states that we do not consider caste, creed, or religion. A player should be evaluated based on the football they play when they put on a shirt and report for duty.
The Pakistani squad will be hosted, according to Prabhakaran, who was recently chosen to serve as the region’s representative on the Asian Football Conference’s executive committee.
Pakistan would be warmly received and will find a friendly and secure atmosphere in Bengaluru, the host said. “We as hosts will make all the security arrangements as decided by the agencies of the government,” he continued. The SAFF Championship’s hosts, the Karnataka State Football Association, are working tirelessly to ensure its success, and the AIFF stays in close contact with them.
