Venues finalised for Pakistan-India football series
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

ISLAMABAD: Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore will act as host cities when Indian team will visit Pakistan to play three-tests in first-ever Indo-Pak series 2005. It was decided in PFF meeting, held under the chairmanship of PFF

President Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on Saturday, 23 April. PFF Secretary-General Muhammad Arshad Khan Lodhi and the heads of all the provincial associations were also present at Lahore to finalize the venues of Junes series between traditional rivals.

It will be first test series for national team after 2002. They played four-test series against Sri Lanka abroad from 17-25 March 2002, losing two matches while other two matches were ended in draw.

The opener of the series will be kick-off on 12 June 2005 at Quetta Ayub Sports Complex that hosted the 11th Asian Club Championship qualifier in 1990. The day match will start at 5 PM.

The historical Qayyum Sports Complex of Peshawar will conduct the second test on 16 June while the third and final test will be held at Lahores Punjab Stadium on 18 June. The last two tests will be played under flood-lit system with 8.30 PM kick off.

All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi and General Secretary Alberto Colaco already confirmed their team will be visiting Pakistan to play three matches. Sukhwinder Singh is likely to be the coach of the visiting team while former international Bramhanand may accompany them as a goalkeeping coach.

Sukhwinder Singh has been appointed India’s soccer coach for the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Sukhwinder would have to work along with a new selection committee in choosing the team. A week before the series, AIFF would hold an exhibition match at the Salt Lake stadium on June 4 to contribute money for

the FIFA/AFC Tsunami fund for construction of a football training centre at the Lapaty Village of Car Nicobar. The two teams would be christened Bhaichung Bhutia XI and I M Vijayan XI, and a move was afoot to get some just retired international stars to make guest appearances.●