Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Atletico Madrid make foray in Pakistan by opening football academy in Lahore

Spain's Atletico Madrid are taking on a challenge tougher than winning La Liga -- developing football in cricket-mad Pakistan, where bat and ball are king, pitches come with stumps not goalposts, and even the prime minister is a former World Cup winner.

During a recent session at the club's new facility in Lahore -- the country's first European football academy -- a cabal of Spanish coaches watched as a new class of young Pakistani hopefuls fired off penalty kicks.


"We are not looking for players for Atletico Madrid because we know that this is going to be very difficult... Our target is to improve the football here," coach Javier Visea told AFP.

To succeed in carving out a place for football, they will need to overcome marginal government support, poor infrastructure and a troubled history with FIFA that has resulted in multiple bans for violating the body's rules.

The country remains on thin ice with the governing organisation, currently sits 199th in the FIFA rankings and has still never qualified for a football World Cup.

- Cricket country -

Things weren't always so dire.

The national squad boasted a top 10 place in Asian football until the 1970s. The sport remains widely watched by middle-class Pakistanis, and football video games like the FIFA franchise are as popular as ever.

Those seeds of fandom are what Atletico hopes to nurture with their facility, which opened last September in the nation of over 200 million.

"We know cricket is the main sport," said Visea. "But ... there are a lot of football fans, they are following (the) Premier League, they are following La Liga."

Atletico aims to promote football, health, and sports in general, he said -- along with their own brand in the vast untapped football market that is South Asia.

And a promising future for football may not be as quixotic as it sounds.

For decades, field hockey was the most popular sport in the country as Pakistan dominated international competitions and won four World Cup titles.

The sport was only overshadowed by cricket with the rise of the dashing all-rounder, and now prime minister, Imran Khan -- culminating with the country's World Cup win in 1992 under Khan's leadership.

Cricket has ruled the sporting roost ever since -- but the hope is that another strong personality with a winning streak in football could change everything again.

- 'A little bit scared' -

Ten-year-old Fiza Shahid dreams of becoming a footballer like her heroes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, practising in her backyard before joining Atletico's academy.

As she sprinted down the new facility's pitch, her father Muhammad Shahid said he takes great pride in watching his daughter play the beautiful game in conservative Pakistan, where boys are more likely to be allowed to compete in sports than girls.

Shahid, who is from a humble background and holds conservative religious beliefs, is a firm believer in his daughter's right to play.

"Both the sons and daughters have equal rights," he said.

For 12-year-old Hussam Suhail the Atletico academy not only provides a place to emulate his idols but also a safe pitch to hone his skills.

"In the streets there are trees and cars coming, you can't play well, while here you can play very well without stopping," he said.

The opening of the academy also comes as security has dramatically improved across Pakistan after years of militancy, paving the way for the gradual return of international sports.

"At the moment they asked us about coming here we were a little bit scared because all the news coming from Pakistan to Spain (is) not good news," said coach Daniel Limones.

But things changed when he landed in Pakistan.

"We are feeling like if we are Spain, so there is no security issue or those things," he said.

More For You

India and UK flags
Getty Images/iStockphoto

UK-India finance group marks one year, calls for steps to attract global investment

INDIA must take an investor-centric approach to attract global funding for its growing sustainable infrastructure needs, the UK-India Infrastructure Financing Bridge (UKIIFB) said in a report released in London on Monday.

The UKIIFB, co-chaired by NITI Aayog and the City of London Corporation, completed one year this week. The group was launched in September last year to help bridge the gap between global investor interest and infrastructure projects in India.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump CEOs

Sitting at the centre of a long table, Trump was flanked by First Lady Melania Trump and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on one side, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the other. (Photo: Getty Images)

At White House dinner, Trump lauds Nadella, Pichai

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump praised Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a White House dinner with top technology executives on Thursday. The two Indian-American leaders thanked him for his leadership and for policies in the technology and AI sectors.

Trump described the gathering as a “high IQ group,” calling the executives “the most brilliant people.” Sitting at the centre of a long table, Trump was flanked by First Lady Melania Trump and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on one side, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the other. Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook sat across from him, while Nadella was seated toward one end of the table.

Keep ReadingShow less
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has approached the court over misuse of her AI-generated images

Getty Images

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan moves to Indian court alleging her AI images are being misused to satisfy sexual desires

Highlights:

  • Actor seeks urgent protection of her personality and publicity rights.
  • Court signals ad-interim injunction against defendants misusing her name and likeness.
  • Plea highlights disturbing AI-generated pornographic images circulating online.
  • Next hearing scheduled before joint registrar on 7 November and full court on 15 January 2026.

Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has approached the Indian court to safeguard her personality rights after discovering that her name, photographs, and digitally manipulated images were being misused online. The actor’s petition draws attention to the rise of AI-generated pornographic content, calling it a grave violation of her dignity and privacy. Justice Tejas Karia has indicated that an ad-interim order may be passed to restrain the defendants from further misuse.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has approached the court over misuse of her AI-generated images Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Karisma Kapoor inheritance

Karisma Kapoor’s children accuse Priya Kapur of suppressing will in £2.51bn Sunjay Kapur property battle

Karisma Kapoor’s kids allege Priya Kapur produced fake will in Sunjay Kapur’s £2.51bn inheritance dispute

Highlights:

  • Karisma Kapoor’s kids seek share in late father Sunjay Kapur’s £2.51bn (₹30,000 crore) estate
  • They accuse stepmother Priya Kapur of forging a will to take full control
  • Lawsuit requests recognition as Class I legal heirs and partition of assets
  • Interim plea filed to freeze Sunjay Kapur’s personal estate until case outcome

The inheritance battle over business tycoon Sunjay Kapur’s £2.51bn (₹30,000 crore) estate has reached the Indian court, with Karisma Kapoor’s children Samaira and Kiaan accusing their stepmother Priya Kapur of presenting a forged will. The suit has opened a new chapter in the Sunjay Kapur death case, less than three months after the auto components magnate and Sona Comstar chairman died during a polo match in Windsor, UK.

Karisma Kapoor inheritance Karisma Kapoor’s children accuse Priya Kapur of suppressing will in £2.51bn Sunjay Kapur property battle Instagram/therealsamairakapoor

Keep ReadingShow less
 India-EU-iStock

The visit coincides with the 13th round of India-EU negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement, which both sides aim to finalise by December. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

EU envoys to hold strategic talks in India, focus on trade and security

THE EUROPEAN Union's Political and Security Committee (PSC), made up of envoys from the 27 member states, will begin a five-day visit to India on Wednesday. The visit will focus on strengthening overall ties, including efforts to conclude a free trade agreement that has been under negotiation for years.

The committee, headed by Ambassador Delphine Pronk, is visiting India for the first time. It will hold strategic discussions with senior Indian government officials, defence industry representatives, civil society organisations and leading think tanks.

Keep ReadingShow less