KARACHI: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has declined to grant a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) for the women’s team’s upcoming tour to Singapore.
The scheduled friendly matches between Pakistan and Singapore’s women’s teams, set to take place on July 15 and 18, now face uncertainty as the PFF’s request for an NOC from the PSB has been turned down.
According to the PSB’s letter to the PFF, federations are required to submit all relevant documents for government clearance at least six weeks prior to the departure date. Due to the belated submission of the request, the PSB stated that they are unable to process the case at this stage.
It is noteworthy that the Football Association of Singapore officially confirmed the tour to the PFF on June 26. However, the PFF’s letter requesting the NOC was sent on June 27, shortly after the Eid Holidays.
A source within the PFF expressed surprise at the PSB’s expectation for documents to be submitted for an NOC even before the tour is confirmed.
The denial of the NOC means that the Pakistan women’s football team will miss the opportunity to participate in international games during the FIFA window.
Last month, the PFF faced a similar situation, having to wait until the last minute for NOCs to tour Mauritius and India.
