A football club delegation from England came to Karachi’s impoverished Lyari district on Friday, according to the British High Commission, to sharpen the skills of local players and scout for hidden talent.
The development happened after Swindon Town Football Club (STFC) in England signed a contract with the Pakistan Football Federation in February of last year before opening a sports academy in the seaside city.
Since then, the club has been training Pakistani footballers in order to assist them in competing in international competitions.
“Transcending boundaries [and] creating ties through [football]! [UK-based] @Official_STFC has been training [Pakistan’s] Karachi FC,” the British High Commission said in a Twitter post. “Will they find the next football star in Lyari?”
When questioned about his time in Pakistan, STFC coach Alex Pike described the welcome as “fantastic.”
In the reception I previously received, he said, “I didn’t imagine it would get any better than that.” But once more, Karachi and Pakistan have exceeded [theirselves] with the reception I’ve received [this time].
Pike explained that the coaching curriculum used by the club in Pakistan was similar to that at the Swindon Town Academy. “We will look to go after some technical practices throughout the week, as well as some game-based and some pitch practices,” he added.
Following the delegation’s visit, Zubair Ghulam Rasool, the coach of Karachi FC, is anticipated to travel to England to play for the team for 12 days and receive additional training.
Muhammad Azaan, the captain of Karachi FC, stated that it was his goal to play for a major English league team. He said in a video to the high commission, “I want to play for Swindon Town FC because I have many dreams and I want to be a big player.
The Lyari area of Karachi, once associated with gang violence and poverty, is well recognized for its football-obsessed population.
