Sports Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), Shahid Niaz Khokhar, has said that the PFF has restored domestic football after a long time by starting the U17 National Football Championship 2026 here at Jinnah Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex, as 10 teams from all over the country will fight for the top honour.
On Thursday, addressing a press conference along with other officials including PFF Vice President Hafiz Zakaullah, Islamabad Football Association President and Local Organising Committee Chief Sheikh Ahmed Rehan, and PFF Executive Committee Member Wasim Raja, he further added that the game of football was moving up in the country under the control of PFF president Mohsin Gillani.
Shahid Niaz Khokhar said the competition represented an important step in the revival of structured youth football in the country. “For a long time, we have been missing a consistent national platform for our young footballers. This championship is about reviving youth football in Pakistan and, more importantly, putting structures in place that can continue beyond one tournament. We want young players to have regular opportunities to compete, to develop and to be identified, wherever they are in the country.”
He said the Federation’s objective was to connect youth competitions with a broader development structure, creating clearer pathways from grassroots football towards the national teams. For many years, Pakistan’s youth national teams have largely relied on open trials and short selection camps whenever international competitions approached. While such trials provide an opportunity for players to be seen, they offer only a limited window in which a young footballer can demonstrate his ability.
Islamabad Football Association President Sheikh Ahmed Rehan said the time had come to move away from that model. “For years, whenever Pakistan had to send a team abroad, we would announce open trials. Thousands of boys would come, and we would have a very limited period in which to identify the players. That cannot be the only way we identify talent. What we are now building is a competition-based merit system, where players have the opportunity to perform over time, and where sustained performance can define their progression.”
Rehan said the increased football activity undertaken by the Federation over the past 15 months under the leadership of President Syed Mohsen Gilani had created the foundation for this change. “The idea is simple. If a player performs consistently, he should be seen. If he performs at a high level against strong competition, that should count. We want to move towards a system where merit and long-term performance matter, rather than one trial or one day deciding a player’s future.”
Hafiz Zakaullah highlighted that the merit-based approach should extend beyond players to the coaches and technical staff working with them. “This system is not only about identifying talented players. It will also help us identify the coaches and technical staff who are doing outstanding work at the grassroots and competition level. If a coach is consistently producing good results and developing players, we should be able to recognise that work and give them
