PAK Football Team to not take part in qualifying race of 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Pakistan’s football team is out of the race to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the team withdrew on the orders of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).
It is the latest event that Pakistan will miss out after sitting out several tournaments in the last three years due to the dispute that has plagued its football governing body.
Pakistan were due to play hosts Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and arch-rivals India from 22nd March in the qualifiers for the tournament that is to be held in Thailand next year. The teams were drawn in 11 four-team groups with the group winners and the four best second-placed teams advancing to the tournament finals. The top three teams would qualify for the Olympics.
Pakistan will not be taking part in Group ‘F’ of the 2020 AFC Under-23 Championship qualifiers as the team withdrew on the orders of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) group that is recognized by global football body FIFA.
“Pakistan’s Olympic team has withdrawn from participation in the qualifiers for the 2020 AFC Under-23 Championship which will be held in Tashkent,” the Tajikistan Football Federation said in a tweet. However, the new President of PFF, Ashfaq said his body was not involved in the withdrawal.
The Supreme Court last year ordered new elections of the PFF, which were held in December and saw Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah elected as the country’s football new President. Ashfaq however is not recognized by FIFA, which still sees and accepts Faisal Saleh Hayat as the PFF President and termed the election as “third-party interference”.
Pakistan’s withdrawal means that they will be fined at least US$20,000 for their withdrawal as it comes less than 30 days before their first match of the qualifiers. They also risk further sanctions from the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee.
In wake of the newly-elected body taking over control from the Hayat-led group, both FIFA and the AFC suspended funding to the PFF.
