Courtesy: The News


Futsal, swimming events for fishermen after Eid

by Syed Intikhab Ali

Monday, October 08, 2012

KARACHI: The KMC sports department has planned to organise at least two unique big sports events in the city after Eid-ul-Azha.

These events will be for those who have always been neglected by sports authorities in the past—the fishermen community.

There will be a futsal championship and a swimming competition solely for the youth of fishermen, ‘The News’ has learnt.

KMC sports officer Jameel Ahmed told this scribe that the first futsal tourney would be held in a befitting manner. Futsal is fast spreading in the city and getting popular among the youngsters of the city.

Futsal is a five-members-a-side version of football competed on a smaller field. FIFA has directed Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to organise futsal events regularly in the country but the PFF has failed to make progress.

The KMC sports department took the initiative knowing the importance and peculiarity of the game, said Jameel. All football teams of the city interested in futsal would be invited, he added.

KMC is first government administration to organise the event.

Youngsters of the city themselves have been organising futsal tournaments in the city for several years without any government support. KMC sports department will organise the event on its own football grounds.

The sports officer said that there would be attractive prize money.

The swimming event will be organised at KMC’s swimming pool at the Kashmir Road Sports Complex.

The fishermen’s children have a natural talent of swimming and if given opportunities to compete, the country could have great swimmers from among them, sports department officials said.

“The Pakistan Swimming Federation (PSF) has assured us that they would pick up the talented swimmers to coach them for participating in national level swimming events,” an official said.

Jameel said that contact has been established with the residents of the costal belt and preparation for the competition has been started.

The final dates will be decided after Eidul Azha.

Swimming has more than 50 medals on offer in any local or international event. “If we find natural talent in this sport we can hope to bring home a number of medals from events like Asian Games and Olympics,” he said.

The areas from where youngsters will participate include Baba Bhit, Shams

Pir, Manora, Rehiri Goth, Ibrahim Hydri, Sands Pit, Paradise Point and Mubarik Village.

Jameel said that KMC sports department had meager resources but a very good sports infrastructure, so it was committed to polish talent and bring it on the national scene, after which it would be the responsibility of federal and provincial governments — as well as sports federations — to further groom the players.






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