ISLAMABAD:The Karachi Football Club and Saber Sports Academy teams played a friendly football match at the Karachi Port Trust stadium which highlighted the growing sporting ties between the United Kingdom and Pakistan.
The match was played as coaches and senior management from the English football club, Swindon Town, visited their football training academy in Karachi where Karachi Football Club players were being trained, said a news release here.
The match proved to be a thrilling spectacle with both teams struggling to gain ascendency leading to a 2-2 draw.
Swindon Town Football Club Vice-chairman Zavier Austin and Coach Alex Pike attended the game to support the players, as did the British Deputy High Commissioner, of the Deputy High Commission Karachi, Martin Dawson.
Swindon Town Football Club started a coaching partnership with the Karachi Football Club in 2021. Now 18 Pakistani teenagers are on paid contracts and are being imparted training for football as well as knowledge of the English language. It is a holistic approach to their development both on and off the pitch.
Following this high-profile Swindon Town Football Club visit to Karachi, one of the Karachi Football Club coaches will be travelling to the United Kingdom to join the Swindon team for 12 days.
“Swindon Town Football Club’s presence in Karachi is good for the sport, good for Pakistan and good for UK-Pakistan relations. Sport plays an important role in promoting inclusion by transcending boundaries and unlocking talent, which I have seen here today in Karachi,” said Martin Dawson while commenting about the coaching programme.
He hoped British football clubs would roll out similar training programmes for female players in Pakistan soon.