ISLAMABAD - Australia Level-II coach Michael Gallus and Shaheens Sporting and Social Club (SSSC) Director Syed Ariz, who had arrived in Pakistan, have said that they are here on the invitation of the Australian Football League (AFL) Pakistan to promote footy and help youth in learning this wonderful sport.
In an interview with the Nation on Tuesday, they said: “We landed in Karachi on 17th and proceeded to Rahim Yar Khan next morning. We held a session of footy with 30 to 40 players in Liaqatpur. All those kids played and learnt about the game for the first time. We were excited to see that they were passionate, motivated and prepared to learn more about the game. Although we only guided them about the basics of the game, yet all of them were energetic and eager to learn and play the game at highest level.”
“Our next stop was Multan, where we witnessed one of the well-organised footy tournaments, conducted by AFL Pakistan’s Jamil Kamran. We also watched the final of the four-team national championship and conducted a training camp for all the participating teams. Each team was consisting of 22 players. The most welcoming thing was the presence of female players, who were 30 in numbers. It was a very good sign for the game and especially for the soft image of the country, as people in the West consider Pakistan as a conservative country. But they must first come here to see hospitability and love of Pakistanis. Not only the boys were amazing, but the courage, passion and enthusiasm shown by the girls was much better and beyond our expectations,” they added.
“Then we went to Lahore for conducting a training session for girls at WAPDA Sports Complex. We did some basic training, as few of the players were very much familiar with the game. Around 40 girls and 20 boys participated in the session. But we mainly focused on females to produce some female teams here as well, who could travel across the globe, participate in mega international tournaments, promote soft image and win laurels for the country. We also went to Smile Again Foundation, which helps acid burn victims, for spending some time and showing few footy drills to the girls. This was the greatest moment of this extraordinary trip to Pakistan.
We also travelled to Gujranwala, where we were given a tremendous reception by the organizers especially AFL Punjab Secretary Attaullah and District Sports Officer Ayesha Mudassar. There were more than 200 girls and 50 boys. We could not provide training to such number of players, so we selected 50 girls and conducted a training session. The skills of participants were above par. We are very confident that these players will become world’s best after some further coaching,” they said.
When asked about his experience in Pakistan, Gallus replied: “During my travel from Karachi to Multan, Lahore, Gujranawala and Islamabad, I have been able to experience the true culture of the country. The hospitality of the people is beyond expectation. I urge the world to come and experience this great country themselves.”
“The talent is definitely available. Pakistani women athletes have played majority of sports. I have found them stronger and more athletic than Australian women players. I look forward to help for developing footy players,” Gallus concluded.