 | Pakistan Premier Football League: New season kicks off today amid security concerns
05 September 2012
|
| 
KARACHI: The ninth edition of the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) kicks off today, with KRL launching its title-defence against PAF, while Wapda’s aim will be to regain supremacy that saw them being crowned national champions four times.
The focus, however, will fall first-up on Afghan FC who were forced to give up on their home ground in Chaman and play in Quetta instead. The new venue, chosen after teams expressed reluctance in visiting Chaman, is as risky, according to Afghan FC’s captain Jadeed Khan.
“Quetta is our second home but we have had to compromise,” Jadeed told The Express Tribune. “We still want our matches at our home ground and for us that’s Chaman. No place in Pakistan is secure these days so I don’t think the teams should be scared when we assured them full security.”
Teams have expressed reservations regarding security and the rowdy crowd in Chaman and Quetta. However, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Tournament Director Pervez Mir feels they cannot completely discard holding matches in these cities because of the popularity of the sport there.
“We have decided to support Afghan FC and Muslim FC’s request. It will be unfair if we take away matches from their home grounds,” said Mir. “The kind of enthusiasm that we see in Balochistan for football is something that PFF can capitalise on. We have formed an inspection committee which will ensure the law-and-order situation is intact. Therefore, other teams should not have any reservations.”
According to the Pakistan Navy coach, Commander Mehfooz, whose team refused to play in Chaman last year, said that playing under these security conditions was not worth risking their lives. Wapda coach Khalid Butt also expressed his scepticism about the facilities and pitch conditions in Chaman and Quetta.
“The basic needs of having a green field and security is something every player wants but we hardly ever get that in Chaman, so it’s right to have matches else where. We also get beaten by the crowd which is unacceptable,” said Khalid. | | See Also in Sports News
|
|  Yet another crisis at IPL
22 May 2013
PUNE: The IPL, already reeling under a crisis because of allegations of spot-fixing, suffered another blow on Tuesday when Sahara India pulled out its team, Pune Warriors India (PWI), from the league. The decision came after the BCCI decided to encash the team’s bank guarantee of Rs170.20 crore following a prolonged financial dispute.
Each franchise has to furnish a bank guarantee at the start of every season which is an amount equivalent to the amount to be paid to the BCCI annually. Since ... Full Story |  Cricketers refused bail as court raps BCCI
22 May 2013
NEW DELHI : Three cricketers were refused bail Tuesday after they appeared in court inNew Delhion spot-fixing charges as senior judges rapped the Indian board's "lackadaisical" approach over the scandal.
And in a sign of the growing fallout from the allegations, police in Mumbai announced the arrest of a Bollywood actor as part of the investigation which has caused outrage among fans in the cricket-mad nation. A court inNew Delhiagreed a five-day custody extension for former Test paceman ... Full Story |  Saudi debates access to stadiums for women
22 May 2013
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is debating whether to allow access to women in sports stadiums after an official backed the idea, triggering a storm in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom where female sports are severely restricted. "Women would be authorised in the stadiums soon," said Saudi Football Federation chief Ahmed Eid.
Eid raised the possibility of allocating 15 percent of the capacity of a stadium being built in a sports complex in the western city of Jeddah to family booths where women ... Full Story | |
|
|
|
