Kickstarter : Messi-ing it up in Mingora

20,000-strong crowd gathers at Grassy Ground to witness the final match of two-month-long tournament

MINGORA:

Football club Young Jamrud of Khyber Agency won the All Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Late Zahir Karam Football tournament at Grassy Ground of Mingora in Swat on Friday, defeating Charsadda DFA XI 1-0 in front of a 20,000-strong crowd.

More than 80 teams, not only from across the province but also the tribal belt participated in the two-month-long tournament.



Sawab Khan, a resident of Khwazakhela, came to watch the final with his family. He told The Express Tribune the people of Swat not only crowd around the television set to watch international games, but also fill stadiums to watch local matches. “This was a really good tourna ment and we enjoyed every match,” said the football enthusiast.

Captain of the winning team, Muhammad Junaid appreciated the efforts of the organisers, saying his team felt humbled by the support of the spectators and Swat’s scenic beauty. “Playing and winning in front of such a huge crowd always gives [us] great pleasure. We are happy to take the trophy to our war-torn Khyber Agency.”

Some renowned national players also took part in the tournament. They urged authorities to promote the game in Swat, saying the players would benefit immensely from state support. “We watched and played football even with very few facilities,” said Noor Rahim, skipper of Charsadda XI and a former national player.

The local players who organised the event were also over the moon. “We tried to organise the event properly and succeeded. But no facilities were provided by the government. Still, a huge crowd came to watch the matches, which proves the people of Swat are starved for entertainment and healthy activities,” said Mohammad Amin, one of the organisers. He added Swat will produce players of international standard if the government provides adequate facilities to them.

Chief guest on the occasion, former K-P forest minister Wajid Ali Khan distributed trophies and prizes among the players after the final match.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2014.