PFF U13 Youth Cup: Top Teams to Qualify for National Festival

Strategic Insights -

The Pakistan Football Federation's (PFF) U13 Youth Cup is set to take place from January 10-19, 2009, at 11 venues across the country. The top teams from the four centers will qualify for the National U13 Festival of Football at Model Town Football Academy in Lahore. The event marks the first-time entry of an ILO-formed team, Sialkot Blue, and features 27 national associations receiving financial support from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for grassroots and youth coaching.

Key Takeaways:

  • The PFF U13 Youth Cup will be played simultaneously at 11 venues, including Chaman, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Nowshera, Bannu, Lahore, Sargodha, Karachi, Sahiwal, and Faisalabad, from January 10-19, 2009.
  • The top teams from the four centers will qualify for the National U13 Festival of Football, with each center hosting a preliminary phase and a final phase featuring teams from multiple zones.
  • Sialkot Blue, an ILO-formed team, will participate in the event for the first time, with players born on or after January 1, 1996, eligible to participate.
  • The PFF launched the event in July 2007 under the directive of President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat to analyze the movement and commitment of 26 youth football coaches working under the AFC AID-27 Financial Assistance Scheme.
  • The event aims to assess the progress made by the 26 AID-27 coaches in imparting training to young footballers across different age groups.
  • The PFF Secretary General, Lt. Col. Ahmad Yar Khan Lodhi, stated that the top teams of four centers will qualify for National U13 Festival of Football at Model Town Football Academy in Lahore.
  • The PFF plans to establish Youth Development Centres (YDCs) in 12 centers across the country to achieve its Vision 2020 target, unveiled in June 2008.

Statistics:

  • 27 national associations are receiving financial support from the AFC for grassroots and youth coaching through the salary for coaches, especially grassroots and youth coaches.
  • 11 venues will host the PFF U13 Youth Cup from January 10-19, 2009.
  • The first-time entry of Sialkot Blue, an ILO-formed team, marks a new development in the event.
  • The age limit for participating players is 13, born on or after January 1, 1996.

Sources:

  • "LAHORE, January 07 (PPI) : The top teams of four centres will qualify for coming National U13 Festival of Football when third edition of PFF U13 Youth Cup will be played simultaneously at eleven venues viz Chaman, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Nowshera, Bannu, Lahore, Sargodha, Karachi, Sahiwal and Faisalabad from 10-19 January 2009."
  • "The main feature of the event is the first-time entry of ILO-formed team which will play as Sialkot Blue. The players born on or after 1 January 1996 will be eligible in PFF Cup as Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) had decided to make it U13 show to correspond coming National U13 Festival of Football."
  • "The age limit was U18 and U14 during previous two editions in 2007."