2023-06-20 14:02:00
BENGALURU: Pakistan national football team will arrive in India to participate in the SAF (South Asian Football Federation) Championship, which is scheduled to begin in Bengaluru on Wednesday. This is the first time since 2014 that the Pakistan national team will play on Indian soil.
After the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 and following the special status of Indian Occupied Kashmir was revoked in 2019, no sports matches between the two countries have been held in India.
Pakistan’s participation in the SAFF Cup in Bengaluru indicates that the Pakistan cricket team will also participate in the ICC World Cup to be held in India. Earlier, Pakistan had threatened to boycott the ICC World Cup to be held in India.
Pakistan Football Federation President Haroon Malik said that the positive attitude and visa approval from the Indian and Pakistani governments are good signs. The visas were received on Monday evening. This is a very good sign.
Sports ties between the two countries are on the verge of resuming. We are very excited. Looking forward to this tournament. “Football’s mission is to unite the world and bring people closer together,” said Malik.
The old Indian memories of the Pakistan National Football Team were when they played a two-match series in India in 2014. On that day, both the teams won one match each and shared the title. The two teams last met in the 2018 SAFF Cup in Bangladesh. Chhetripada defeated Pakistan 3-1 that day.
Although football is a popular sport in both the countries, this sport has not progressed due to the popularity of cricket. The last time Pakistan cricket team played a cricket series on Indian soil was in 2012.
Pakistan is in Group A along with India, Kuwait and Nepal. Eight countries will play in the SAFF Cup, including Group B comprising of Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The final is on July 4.
India is currently ranked 101 in the FIFA world rankings. Pakistan is ranked 195th. Pakistan football has long been in turmoil due to allegations of political interference and violence.
The ban on the Pakistan Football Federation, which faced a 15-month suspension due to third-party interference, was lifted by FIFA in July 2022. Then Pakistan reaches the SAFF Cup in the absence of international competition experience.
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