Many would think only cricket and squash have produced some of the biggest sports legends in Pakistan. However, the love and passion for a myriad of other sports remains in our country, and maybe with just a little bit of pushing, nurturing and facilities, both monetary and in equipment, the country would be capable of bringing forth champions in every sport.
Kalimullah and Muhammad Eesa are not the only ones counted among Pakistan’s renowned footballers; there is an endless list of those young aspiring ones who wish to make their presence felt gradually in the sport.
Karachi United Squad is a Pakistani football club based in the southern city. It was established in 1996, enriching the dreams and aspirations of many young footballers. They do say when the intention is pure, opportunities arise from the most unexpected of places. And so something fabulous happened during the second week of February when FC Barcelona extended an invitation to the Karachi United FC club to a group of 44 young players, to arrive in Spain and be trained under the Barcelona FC auspices.
Karachi United FC spent one whole successful week during their tour to Barcelona in which the coaches and players received exclusive training from FC Barcelona coaches as well as successfully competed against local youth club teams.
“It was an amazing experience to be trained at the FCB Escola. The coaches were fantastic and the trip was brilliantly organised by Karachi United,” 13-year-old Karachi United player Zaid Jalil said, while talking exclusively to Daily Times.
Karachi United became the first club from Pakistan to tour the world-renowned FC Barcelona, which is indeed an honour in itself. More so for those young players, who were travelling outside Karachi, perhaps for the first time in their lives and were exposed to memorable experiences and extensive professional training that they took home with themselves.
“All of us, including the players and the coaches, were accommodated at a hostel where we had to look after ourselves but during that time, we bonded on a special note, every day eager and excited to see what our host coaches had in store for us,” Ali Ata of Karachi United FC said, also while talking exclusively to Daily Times. “The times these young players spent on the field will last them a lifetime for the expertise, skill and enthusiasm with which they got the training was indeed memorable and will help them hone their skills and become better footballers in the future,” he said.
During their weeklong tour, the Karachi United squad, comprising 53 persons, was given six exclusive coaching sessions by FCB coaches, where they learnt about the FCB training philosophy and their values. The coaches Kiko, Oscar and Jordi expressed great satisfaction on the progress shown by
the Karachi United players
and especially praised their discipline.
“More time was spent on the field and less in exploring, as we wanted to gain what we had went there for,” Ali Ata said. “We take great pride in acknowledging the fact that Karachi United is now the first club from Pakistan to tour the world-renowned FC Barcelona.”
For those who are not familiar with the Barcelona FC club, it is one of the most supported teams in the world, and has the largest social media following in the world among sports teams. Barcelona’s players have won a record number of Ballon d’Or awards, as well as a record number of FIFA World Player of the Year awards. Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi have also come through the club’s youth academy.
The Karachi United squad was housed at the Marcet Fundacion, a renowned Catalonian youth set-up through whose ranks players such as Keylor Navas and others came through. During their stay, Karachi United’s four teams played over 15 matches.
Here’s wishing Pakistan’s Karachi United FC all the best for their future endeavours, hoping they’ll bring forth reaped, talented and highly competitive footballers of Pakistan.
