‘Security major threat for Australian players’

Australian deputy high commissioner hopes to send students on sport scholarships during his tenure.

ISLAMABAD:

Security remains the major concern for Australian players to come to Pakistan according to the new travel guide issued by Pakistan’s foreign office.

Speaking at a press conference held here on Thursday, Deputy high commissioner Paul Molloy said that it would have been ideal to have Australian players and coaches to come to Pakistan and train players here, but as to the new travel guide issued by the foreign office indicates, security remains a major concern for players.

He said that since he is not able to bring expertise to Pakistan, he will try to bring Pakistanis on sports scholarships to Australia so they can come back and further train players and coaches here. “I am not making any promises, but would love to work on this initiative during my three year tenure,” he said. Molly added that sports are as significant in Australia as they are in other parts of the world and Australian universities offer some excellent programs for student athletes.

On the occasion, the Australian deputy high commissioner and Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) General Secretary Col (retired) Ahmad Yar Lodhi marked the successful completion of the PFF’s football training and skills development programs for the Pakistani youth. The deputy high commissioner also congratulated the PFF on a successful inter-school football program which culminated in October 2011; Gilgit Markhor won the final Gilgit Tournament.

According to a press statement issued by the high commission, the Australian Sports Commission provided the PFF with a grant of  PKR 1581,831.72  ( Aus$18,000) in 2010 to conduct two football training and skills development programs - one in Lyari and another in Gilgit - under the Australian Sports Outreach Program (ASOP).

(Read: Football - Focus on grass-root after Asian Games failure)

Molloy said that he was delighted that the funding assisted the PFF implement skill development projects in eight schools in Lyari and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as renovation of football fields in both the areas.

“The Pakistan Football Federation’s projects are the latest of several sporting projects the Australian government has assisted over the past three years,” said Molley. He said that since 2008-09, the Australian government has provided more than Rs7 million (equivalent to Aus$ 88,500) to various sporting bodies, including the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan Netball Federation.

“Encouraging young people to become involved in sports is the key aim of the Sports Outreach Program. I understand the PFF’s program reached about 1,678 young Pakistanis, which was a great effort,” he added.

The ASOP has a strong focus on developmental sport programs which affect real, sustainable changes in the community. The purpose of the ASOP is to complement larger community development schemes, especially for women and the young through sport and physical activity.

Molly said he hopes the funding provided to PFF would help Pakistan emerge as a competitive team at par with international standards, as it is in sports such as cricket, hockey and squash. He said ASOP has become part of a much broader and deeper engagement between the two countries in recent years.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2011.