National U16 Football Championship: Karachi Youth Team clinches coveted title

Abbottabad decline runners-up prize money as goodwill gesture.

KARACHI: Karachi Youth Team clinched the National Under-16 Football Championship 2013 title after defeating hosts Abbottabad 2-1 in the final at the Kunj Stadium yesterday.

Karachi Youth dominated the match with goals from strikers Muhammad Obaid and Shehzad Khan. Abottabad’s solitary goal came from Shahzeb Khan.

The winning team was awarded Rs100,000 as prize money, while Abbottabad declined to take the cash as a goodwill gesture.

“It’s a good gesture by the hosts not to take the cash; instead they offered it to the third place winners,” Tournament Director Rauf Bari told The Express Tribune. “This was their way of showing their gratitude to the visiting teams.”

Sindh, who defeated Balochistan 1-0 in the third place play-off, consequently received Rs50,000 as the bronze-medalists.

Foreign coach for the junior national team

Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Secretary Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi, who was also the chief guest at the final, said the performances of the young footballers were satisfactory.

He said the PFF will now look for a foreign coach for the junior’s team before the South Asian Football Championship in September.

“The level of competition is great and I’m impressed that two trophies went to Sindh,” said Lodhi.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2013.