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NEW DELHI: The Pakistan football team will travel to India for the upcoming South Asian Football Federation Championships which will be played from June 21 to July 4 in Bengaluru.
With Pakistan confirming its participation, the AIFF said it does not see any problem with the neighbouring country featuring in the international competition.
The eight-team tournament will also see participation of Lebanon and Kuwait.
The SAFF executive committee earlier in March decided to feature teams from outside the south Asian region with a view to make the championship more competitive.
“We don’t see any problem in the coming of players from Pakistan to India to participate in the SAFF Championships,” All Indian Football Federation secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran told PTI.
He was asked if there could be any problem on the issue of granting visas to the Pakistani players in view of the political tension between the two countries.
“I think the Indian bridge team recently took part in a regional tournament in Pakistan and so we don’t expect any issue on their (Pakistan’s) participation,” he added.
Besides hosts India, Lebanon, Kuwait and Pakistan, the other four participating countries are Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives. Sri Lanka is not taking part as it is serving suspension from world governing body FIFA, while Afghanistan has left SAFF to join Central Asian Football Federation a few years back.
Pakistan failed to feature in two tournaments out of the 13 editions held so far since 1993.
The Pakistan Football Federation could not send its team in the 2015 edition held in India due to internal issues. The country missed the 2021 edition as it was serving suspension from FIFA. The suspension was lifted last year.
Prabhakaran also said that all the participating countries, including Kuwait and Lebanon, will send their best national teams.
“Yes, Lebanon and Kuwait, as well as all other participating countries, will send their first national teams,” said Prabhakaran who recently became a member of Asian Football Confederation executive committee as a representative of the SAFF.
India has won the regional tournament a record eight times. Defending champions Maldives have won the title twice while Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka lifted the trophy once each.
India will be hosting the tournament for the fourth time.
The draw of the tournament will be held here on Wednesday.
(With inputs from PTI)
With Pakistan confirming its participation, the AIFF said it does not see any problem with the neighbouring country featuring in the international competition.
The eight-team tournament will also see participation of Lebanon and Kuwait.
The SAFF executive committee earlier in March decided to feature teams from outside the south Asian region with a view to make the championship more competitive.
“We don’t see any problem in the coming of players from Pakistan to India to participate in the SAFF Championships,” All Indian Football Federation secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran told PTI.
He was asked if there could be any problem on the issue of granting visas to the Pakistani players in view of the political tension between the two countries.
“I think the Indian bridge team recently took part in a regional tournament in Pakistan and so we don’t expect any issue on their (Pakistan’s) participation,” he added.
Besides hosts India, Lebanon, Kuwait and Pakistan, the other four participating countries are Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives. Sri Lanka is not taking part as it is serving suspension from world governing body FIFA, while Afghanistan has left SAFF to join Central Asian Football Federation a few years back.
Pakistan failed to feature in two tournaments out of the 13 editions held so far since 1993.
The Pakistan Football Federation could not send its team in the 2015 edition held in India due to internal issues. The country missed the 2021 edition as it was serving suspension from FIFA. The suspension was lifted last year.
Prabhakaran also said that all the participating countries, including Kuwait and Lebanon, will send their best national teams.
“Yes, Lebanon and Kuwait, as well as all other participating countries, will send their first national teams,” said Prabhakaran who recently became a member of Asian Football Confederation executive committee as a representative of the SAFF.
India has won the regional tournament a record eight times. Defending champions Maldives have won the title twice while Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka lifted the trophy once each.
India will be hosting the tournament for the fourth time.
The draw of the tournament will be held here on Wednesday.
(With inputs from PTI)
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