Latest news with #StephenConstantine
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Sports Ministry may rethink rule on OCI card holders
New Delhi: The Sports Ministry may resume allowing Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders to represent India in select disciplines. The move can help football where it has long been felt that OCI card holders can at least be a short-term fix for the national team. Tapping into the diaspora is practised by many football federations of which Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines are some examples. Ranked 123rd, Indonesia are in the third round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the surge in their performance attributed to a number of players who were born in Netherlands. In April 2024, Indonesia were ranked 134 and below India. Eighteen of the 23-player Philippines squad for the 2023 Women's World Cup were born in the USA. Since 2023, players born in Finland, Scotland, Argentina, Spain and Brazil have represented Malaysia's men's national team. That explains why calls to use OCI and PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) players in the national team has got louder over the years with former national coaches Stephen Constantine and Igor Stimac urging the government to have a rethink. In 2023, All India Football Federation (AIFF) said it had set up a task force to do a feasibility study on PIOs. It is not clear what came out of it. In tennis too, India have lacked depth for a long time. The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has done little to groom talent. A sports ministry official said on Thursday there was no harm in relooking at the 2008 policy that allowed only Indian citizens to represent the country. 'If allowing OCI participation boosts the national team especially in disciplines like football, tennis, or any other discipline, then why not? It can be only for sports where Indians are not doing well,' said the official requesting anonymity given the sensitive nature of the issue. India does not permit dual citizenship. But in the absence of guidelines, a number of OCI card holders have represented India even as the issue came up in courts of the country. Prakash Amritraj was in India's Davis Cup team and US-born tennis player Shikha Oberoi has been part of the national team. In 2008, then sports minister MS Gill introduced a policy that allowed only Indian citizens to represent the country. Which meant Izumi Arata, an Indian-Japanese who had been playing club football in India since 2006, could represent the national football team only after taking Indian citizenship in 2013. BCCI, corporates promise support for Olympic sport Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met over 50 corporate houses on Thursday and spoke about the need to come forward to support Olympic sport. Officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were also present. 'There were 58 corporates in the meeting and they are very keen on supporting Olympic disciplines. BCCI too is interested in adopting two to three Olympic disciplines in the Olympic Centres of Excellence, the sports ministry is aiming to start this year,' an official said. The sports ministry's ambitious plan is to upgrade facilities of SAI, National Centres of Excellence into world class Olympic centres, focussing on one sport in one centre. 'We want to start with 50-55 athletes in such centres. There will be one corporate house backing one centre and top class facilities will be provided to train athletes.'
Arab News
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Pakistan football team to travel to Saudi Arabia tomorrow for AFC Asian Cup qualifier camp
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's national football team will travel to Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Thursday, where they will resume training for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifier fixture against Syria, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said in a statement. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Pakistan will kick off their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualification campaign against Syria on Mar. 25 at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The green shirts concluded their training session in the eastern city of Lahore on Wednesday night, the PFF said. "The team is set to depart for Saudi Arabia tomorrow night, where they will continue their training under the guidance of Head Coach Stephen Constantine," the PFF said. Earlier this month, Pakistan reappointed Constantine, who previously served as the country's head coach from late 2023 until mid-2024, as head coach for the Syria fixture. Pakistan's inclusion in the qualifier was made possible after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) lifted its international suspension against the country earlier this month. FIFA hit Pakistan on Feb. 6 with a third international suspension in less than eight years after the federation rejected its electoral reforms. Following the suspension, the PFF unanimously approved FIFA's proposed constitutional amendments in an extraordinary meeting in Lahore this month. Pakistan are placed in Group E of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers alongside Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar. PAKISTAN PROBABLES Goalkeepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Abdul Basit and Adam Khan Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suliman, Haseeb Khan, Junaid Shah, Mamoon Moosa, Mohammad Fazal, Abdul Rehman and Waqar Ihtisam Midfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Uzair, Ali Zafar, Muhammad Umar Hayat, Rahis Nabi, Toqeer ul Hassan, Umair Ali and Moin Ahmed Forwards: Fareedullah, Harun Hamid, Imran Kayani, Mckeal Abdullah, Abdul Samad, Shayak Dost and Muhammad Adeel Younas
Arab News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Pakistan football team to travel to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for AFC Asian Cup qualifier camp
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's national football team will travel to Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Thursday, where they will resume training for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifier fixture against Syria, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said in a statement. Pakistan will kick off their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualification campaign against Syria on Mar. 25 at the Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The green shirts concluded their training session in the eastern city of Lahore on Wednesday night, the PFF said. "The team is set to depart for Saudi Arabia tomorrow night, where they will continue their training under the guidance of Head Coach Stephen Constantine," the PFF said. Earlier this month, Pakistan reappointed Constantine, who previously served as the country's head coach from late 2023 until mid-2024, as head coach for the Syria fixture. Pakistan's inclusion in the qualifier was made possible after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) lifted its international suspension against the country earlier this month. FIFA hit Pakistan on Feb. 6 with a third international suspension in less than eight years after the federation rejected its electoral reforms. Following the suspension, the PFF unanimously approved FIFA's proposed constitutional amendments in an extraordinary meeting in Lahore this month. Pakistan are placed in Group E of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers alongside Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar. PAKISTAN PROBABLES Goal-Keepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Abdul Basit and Adam Khan Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suliman, Haseeb Khan, Junaid Shah, Mamoon Moosa, Mohammad Fazal, Abdul Rehman and Waqar Ihtisam Midfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Uzair, Ali Zafar, Muhammad Umar Hayat, Rahis Nabi, Toqeer ul Hassan, Umair Ali and Moin Ahmed Forwards: Fareedullah, Harun Hamid, Imran Kayani, Mckeal Abdullah, Abdul Samad, Shayak Dost and Muhammad Adeel Younas
Gulf News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Gulf News
Pakistan returns to international football following FIFA's lifted ban
The squad is currently training in Pakistan, before heading to Saudi Arabia to face Syria Last updated: March 19, 2025 | 12:00 1 MIN READ Pakistan will face Syria in an Asian Cup qualifier Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)/X The Pakistan national football team is set to make their return to international competition when they face Syria in Saudi Arabia on March 25, marking their first match since FIFA lifted their latest suspension on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). The team's participation in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers was cast into uncertainty after FIFA imposed a suspension last month. The suspension stemmed from the PFF's failure to adopt revisions to its constitution, which would ensure truly fair and democratic elections - an essential step in meeting FIFA's ongoing normalisation process. This marked the third suspension of the PFF in eight years, following similar bans in 2017 and 2021, both triggered by third-party interference. The 2021 suspension was lifted in June 2022, after the PFF's normalisation committee regained full control over the federation's operations and finances. FIFA officially lifted the latest suspension earlier this month, after the PFF approved constitutional amendments that were validated by both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). "The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided on 2 March 2025 to lift the suspension that was imposed on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on 6 February 2025," FIFA confirmed in a statement. Under the leadership of Stephen Constantine, who guided the team to their first-ever World Cup qualifying round victory in October 2023, Pakistan will look to get off to a fast start in their bid to qualify for the Asian Cup for the first time. The squad is currently training in Pakistan, with local-based players preparing for the upcoming match. The team's foreign-based players will join the camp in Saudi Arabia ahead of the game. Sign up for the Daily Briefing Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox
Express Tribune
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Constantine set to coach Pak again
The Pakistan Football Federation has decided to reappoint Stephen Constantine as the head coach of the national team for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. While an official announcement is yet to be made, the decision comes as Pakistan gears up for the third round of the qualifiers, marking a crucial phase in the country's footballing journey. However, according to reports, Constantine has been asked for coaching role only for the AFC Asian Cup qualifier match against Syria. A decision for long term appointment will be made at a later stage. "He is coming only for this qualifier (vs Syria). We don't have enough time for any change so we asked Stephen to come back for this match," a PFF official said. Constantine previously managed the Pakistan team from 2023 to 2024. During his first stint with Pakistan team, the Shaheens managed to win the FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Cambodia and for the first time ever in history, qualified for the second round of qualifiers – though couldn't' proceed beyond that, but team showed remarkable improvement during his tenure. Stephen Constantine is a familiar name in Asian football, having managed several national teams across the continent, including India and Nepal. He is best known for his two successful tenures with the Indian national team, where he significantly improved India's FIFA ranking and developed young talent. The PFF, according to sources, has also confirmed Pakistan's participation in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, a major step forward following the lifting of FIFA's suspension, Pakistan's first match in the qualifiers is scheduled for March 25, 2024, against Syria. The match, Syria's home game, will be held in Saudi Arabia. According to sources, Constantine is set to take charge of the team for this crucial fixture. Earlier, The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) lifted the ban on the PFF after the local body made desired constitutional amendments. As per details, the top football governing body revoked the suspension after the PFF approved its proposed constitutional amendments in an Extraordinary Congress last week. Member of the PFF Normalisation Committee (NC) Shahid Khokhar confirming the development thanked FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for their constant support towards Pakistan.
