Naya Nazimabad Academy team depart for Malaysia football event

KARACHI: The Naya Nazimabad Football Academy team is set to depart for Malaysia on Tuesday to participate in the Kuala Lumpur International Football Tournament.

Pakistan currently sits 198th in the FIFA world rankings and has yet to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.

Despite this, football continues to enjoy immense popularity among the country’s youth, with thousands of talented youngsters eager to make their mark on the international stage.

A farewell ceremony was held in honour of the young players ahead of their departure.

During the reception, Arif Habib, Chairman of PIA, was introduced to the academy’s young footballers and appreciated their dedication to the sport.

He said Pakistan possesses tremendous football talent, further stressing that patronage and investment in sports are essential to bringing international recognition to the country.

He expressed optimism about both the football team travelling to Malaysia and the archery team heading to Bangladesh, hoping they would deliver strong performances and bring pride to the nation.

The Naya Nazimabad Football Academy side will travel under the leadership of Director Hassan Yousafzai. 

The Kuala Lumpur tournament will feature eight teams, including sides from host nation Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, members of the archery team travelling to Bangladesh, along with head coach Ejaz Ali, also met Arif Habib and briefed him on their preparations for the upcoming event.