PESHAWAR: President World Group Shahzaib Trunkwala gave the good news to Pakistani football lovers that former Arsenal and French football legend Robert Pires is the latest player to be signed by Leisure League and World Group to join Ronaldinho & Friends for a match in Pakistan this summer. UK’s largest amateur football league, Leisure Leagues, a company of World Group Trunkwala family, also announced on Saturday to open up their door’s for the football enthusiasts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to be part of their 5, 6 and 7-a-side football in Pakistan. “We want the youth of KP and FATA to come up and registered with the LLP, a name guaranteed them to play football without any hardship,” Mehmood Trunkwala said in his message. LLP is not just to involve the kids in healthy activities rather it a game changer as far as developing of soft image of Pakistan to the rest of the World, Mr Trunkwala, who masterminded the LLP, said. He said although an announcement in this connection has earlier been made by the British Deputy High Commissioner Ms Belinda Lewis to launch LLP like they have in other countries of the world, we are here to inform the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA to come and play. “The youth just need a registration and the rest is on our part like providing playing uniform, football, ground, officials, referees and above all things related to the League,” he remarked. LLP has been running leagues in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and America for the past two and a half decades and now efforts have been taken to launch it in Pakistan, he disclosed. He said the LLP would certainly bring a revolution as far as promotion of football in Pakistan is concerned as new talent would come up for which Academies would be established, coaching would be provided and above all competitive exposure and playing time with legendary footballers would be ensured. “In order to market LLP a nationwide campaign for registration is planned with ATL and BTL support for players of all ages and genders,” said Trunkwala. “It will not only involve schools and colleges but also professionals from different walks of life,” he added. “Leisure Leagues is the oldest, small-sided league supplier in the UK and the largest network of leagues in Europe with thousands of teams playing at hundreds of venues each week,” he informed, adding, “we want such like things in Pakistan, in all provinces and each city and villages, Mr. Trunkwala said. He further stated that the leagues would help players in Pakistan become international players, get scholarships in foreign varsities and employment abroad. “Players will also get a chance to be trained by international coaches and play on thousands of football pitches in Pakistan,” he added. He said, football is a tremendously popular sport in Pakistan and with the move, it would help in developing at the grass root level. “This league will provide a much-needed platform for young talent in Pakistan to come forward, acquire the skills necessary to play football at an international level,” said. COO Ishaq Shah said that Leisure Leagues would provide a platform to all talented football players of the country. “Teams like KRL, NBP and K-Electric would also get an opportunity to recruit players for national duty,” he added. He said that the players could register themselves in the league through the website. He revealed that initially already available venues in Pakistan would be utilised and that a plan was there to give new pitches to the country. They said that according to FIFA three million footballers were in Pakistan. He said that anyone of any age could register for the leagues. He disclosed that Brazil’s Ronaldinho, England’s David James and Dutch star George Boateng, French star Nicolas Anelka will be among seven top former players to feature in exhibition games in Pakistan. Ishaq Shah, said the stars would play exhibition games alongside local players selected from Leisure Leagues in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and other cities as well. Legendary Qamar Zaman, former skipper of Pakistan Football team Qazi Muhammad Asif, former record holder scorer Haji Aajiz Shakoor, Test cricketers Muhammad Rizwan, and Iftikhar, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Hockey Federation Muhammad Saeed Khan, Vice President Pakistan Olympic Association Syed Aqil Shah, Ex-Chairman PHF Competition Committee Syed Zahir Shah, international Col. Qaiser Mustafa, leading sportspersons from various games, Secretary General AIPs Asia Amjad Aziz Malik, hockey commentator Mirza Iqbal Baig, Chief Operating Officer Leisure League Pakistan Ishaq Shah, Region Manager and former Pakistan team skippers Gohar Zaman, Basit Kamal and people from different walks of life were also present on the occasion. Pakistan sporting greats including legendary Qamar Zaman, Qazi Muhammad Asif, KP Minister for Public Health and Engineering Shah Farman lauded the efforts being put in by Trunkwala family and World Group saying that such activities would certainly bring a big change in the sports in Pakistan.