KARACHI: Girls of Unique Star School won the opening match of Leisure Leagues U-16 Girls Schools and Academies Championship beating their counterparts from Government Ibrahim Ali Bhai School by 1-0 here at Government Ibrahim Ali Bhai School Football Ground.
Eight teams will be seen in action in each girls and boys leagues. In girls’ event, venue host Ibrahim Ali Bhai School will be fielding three teams, namely Blue, Green and Primary. Other teams to feature in the girls league are Unique Star School, Al-Miyar Academy, DJ Vision Grammar School, KU Orangi Academy and Islamic Beacon House.
Meanwhile, boys’ teams participating in the tournament are Ibrahim Ali Bhai School, Unique Star School, Al-Miyar Academy, DJ Vision Grammar School, KU Orangi Academy, Islamic Beacon House, Fatima Grammar School and Ibrahim Ali Bhai Memorial Secondary School.
In the girls’ event opening match, Ilma scored the lone and decisive goal of the match.
Meanwhile, in boys’ event opening match, Islamic Beacon House defeated DJ Vision Grammar School by 2-0 score. Asad and Sameer scored one goal apiece for the winners in the match.
District Education Officer West Sirajuddin was the chief Guest during the opening ceremony of the two leagues. He met with both boys and girls teams and wished them best of luck for the championships.
He also said that his department welcomes Leisure Leagues for taking keen interest in reviving school football and extended his department’s full support for Leisure Leagues in its endeavors.
He said that he was happy to see youngsters taking keen interest in healthy activities.
District Education Officer Girls West Shahida Baloch, Coordinator West Mohammad Zakir, Principals Ibrahim Ali Bhai School Abdul Hafeez and Hajira, Leisure Leagues Area Manager Riaz Ahmed and others were also present on the occasion.
“We, at Leisure Leagues, are planning to revive school football with an aim to produce quality footballers once again. There was a time when many footballers make it to the national and even led the green shirts against international teams,” said LLP Area Manager Riaz Ahmed.
He added that former Pakistan football team captains like Ali Nawaz, Qayyum Changezi, Ayub Dar, Mohammad Omar, Qadir Baksh and Ghulam Sarwar Sr. rose to the ranks from school football.
He further said LLP would initially organize school football tournaments in month in Karachi and would later increase its scope to other cities of the country as well.
