SAFF Championship: Pakistan team get final clearance from their govt to travel to India
AFTER WEEKS OF uncertainties, roadblocks around Pakistan's participation in the SAFF Championship 2023 have finally cleared up.
The Pakistan football team will travel from Mauritius to Mumbai on 18th June, after which they will fly to Bengaluru where they are set to face hosts India on 21st June on the opening day of the South Asian championship.
Although the Indian government, working with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), had already cleared the Pakistan team's travel to Bengaluru for the competition, permission from the Pakistan government was still pending.
Concerned over the time it was taking, Pakistani football fans have been raising their voices on social media for weeks, hoping for a quick resolution to the matter.
Even the Pakistan Football Federation made several public appeals through social media to the government, to grant the 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) necessary for the tour to proceed.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Interior of the Pakistan government finally said in an official letter that it had "no objection on participation of Pakistan football team in the SAFF Championship."
Following this, earlier today the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) issued the official NOC to the Pakistan Football Federation.
NOC from IPC for Pakistan football team's participation in SAFF Championship in India.#PakistanFootball pic.twitter.com/Peot1KL1n2
— Muneeb Farrukh (@Muneeb313_) June 16, 2023
This is the first time the Pakistan football team will travel to India since it played two unofficial friendlies with India in 2014 where mostly the U-23 players took part. The matches took place in Bengaluru, with India winning the first match 1-0 and Pakistan winning the second game 2-0.
When India hosted the SAFF Championship in 2015-16, Pakistan were unable to participate due to an ongoing FIFA suspension.
This time, Pakistan are placed in Group A with India, Nepal and Kuwait; and they are slated to play at least 3 matches in the SAFF Championship at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
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