Daily Times

The inauguration ceremony of the training session, organized by Legends Academy was held at the DHA (Defence Housing Authority) Football Ground to promote football grassroot talent and explore the local level football coaches in the country.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, CIO NatWest Group Muhammad Kamal Syed said that it was a bid by the Legends Academy to promote the football and grassroot talent as very aspiring players were at a loss at finding the right direction. He said that these talented players were clueless about how to begin their soccer careers and advance from one step to the next.

Kamal Syed said that millions of children in Pakistan played football but it was needed to explore their skills’ level and capacity as the country has a lot of potential and many natural street players.

On the occasion, Legends Academy owner Hamza Syed said that our dream was to explore players compatible at national as well as international level, adding that Pakistan produced about 70 per cent of the global production of hand sewed footballs and other related gears so it was time to motivate and encourage football talent which could represent the country at international level. He said that Legends Academy Pakistan was making efforts to explore the skills of young players as when the skills were nurtured in the right hands, legendary players could be produced.

Hamza Syed said that there was no shortage of talent in football in Pakistan but it was need of the hour to allow young talent to develop and realize their full potential. He added that about 400 players under the age of 18, belonging to Lahore and other districts were participating in this training session, maintaining that Legends Academy would make it possible to ensure football training free of cost to the players up to 18 years of age during the upcoming summer session in June.

International Football coaches Joshau Wall from UK and Zakria Lasfi from Morocco, expressing their views said that it has been an amazing experience here after seeing talent, determination, hard work and passion of young talented footballers who have potential to compete at international level. They said that it was a new era and start of football in Pakistan as efforts of Legends Academy was being translating into positive outcomes. They also urged the new players to come forward and took part in the football training sessions for learning modern football techniques and methods.