Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that the government is working on a policy to promote football and women’s sports in the country. This announcement comes after the women’s national team’s impressive second-place finish at the Four Nations Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The tournament, which was Pakistan’s second international after FIFA lifted its ban on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), saw the women’s team secure a draw against eventual champions Saudi Arabia to finish in second place .
Shehbaz Sharif tweeted his congratulations to Saudi Arabia for winning the title and praised the national team for their performance. He specifically highlighted the contribution of skipper Maria Khan, who helped the Women in Green level the game.
The prime minister also emphasized that the government is actively working on a policy to promote football and women’s sports, writing, “We are working on a policy to promote football and women’s sports in Pakistan.”
Congratulations to Saudi Arabia for winning this tournament and proud of our Women’s National Team 🇵🇰 finishing 2nd. Special congratulations to Maria Khan for scoring this spectacular goal. We are working on policy to promote football and women’s sports in Pakistan https://t.co/3QKcgIT4WC
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 20, 2023
During the match against Saudi Arabia, the hosts took an early lead in the first half, but the Pakistan team fought back and equalized with a stunning equalizer by Maria Khan. Prior to the draw with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan lost to Mauritius 2-1 in the second match and defeated Comoros 1-0 in the opener.
The government’s commitment to promote football and women’s sports in Pakistan is an important step towards the development of sports in the country. This policy is likely to provide more opportunities for women to participate in sports and help improve the level of football in Pakistan.