FATA forced to pull out of football event

Players unable to reach the venue in Peshawar due to law-and-order situation.

KARACHI:

The deteriorating law-and-order situation in Peshawar has affected the fourth National Women’s Club Championship that started yesterday as Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) Football Club was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to their players being unable to travel to the venue.

Fata failed to show up on the opening day of the championship, handing Peshawar Football Club a walkover with three points and three goals in their group D match.

According to the Fata Women’s Football Federation President Faisal Jamil Shah, the team pulled out of the championship because six of their players, who belong to Kurram Agency, could not get the clearance to travel to Peshawar due to the ongoing tussle between the Taliban and Shia groups in the region.

“It’s a cruel and disappointing that our players couldn’t make it to the venue,” Shah told The Express Tribune. “Our team was incomplete and we couldn’t wait for them.

“The female footballers in Fata usually come from Kurram and South Waziristan Agency. The girls from these areas are strong and spirited but this has left them with no other option but to pull out of the biggest national tournament for female footballers in the country.”

Meanwhile, Frontier College started their campaign in style as they defeated Striker FC 7-1.

Ayesha Mohammad struck a hat-trick to ensure the win, scoring in the 17th, 24th and 34th minutes of the match. Sidra Rauf added a brace as Striker FC could only reply with Mehrunnisa’s goal in the 41st minute.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th,  2011.