Pakistan looks for "proper jobs" for footballers

The Pakistan Tribune, quotes the president of the Pakistan Football Federation, Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayatm, saying anyone could not expect somebody to give his best when the poor chap doesn't even have the means to earn his bread and butter.

"You will have to ensure proper jobs for the footballers to lift the standard of Pakistan football. Otherwise, things will get worse in the future not for football, but also for other games", the newspaper reported.

He said lack of jobs along with the absence of playing grounds and sponsorship have contributed to the dismal figure of Pakistan football more than anything else and “today even a contractual assignment for a top footballer is considered a stroke of luck”.

He said he had met with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to solve this dilemma and asked him for “increment of stipend” for players employed in various organizations.

Mr Hayatm is considered an innovator for transforming the ailing National Championship into a “tough, absorbing” National League and he is now modifying the National Football Challenge Cup on the lines of English FA Cup.