Hero’s welcome for Lyari Football Academy | The Express Tribune

KARACHI:

The Lyari Football Academy team received a hero’s welcome upon their return to Karachi after securing the silver medal at the Singa Cup 2025 – Asia’s largest youth football tournament.

The young footballers, hailing from the underprivileged yet sports-rich area of Lyari, were greeted with garlands, rose petals, and chants of “Pakistan Zindabad” as they arrived at Karachi International Airport.

Member of the Sindh Assembly Muhammad Farooq was present to receive the team. He congratulated the players on their outstanding performance, saying they had brought pride not only to Lyari but to the entire nation. “These young athletes have proved that passion and determination can overcome all odds,” he said, acknowledging the team’s success despite financial and resource constraints.

President of the Lyari Football Academy, Sheikh Abdul Rehman, vowed to continue developing young football talent and urged the Sindh government and Provincial Sports Minister Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Mehr to extend financial and institutional support to the players. He said that with proper facilities and encouragement, Lyari’s footballers could achieve even greater success at the international level. Among those present to welcome the team were Sufyan Dilawar, Syed Jawad Shoaib, Jan Muhammad Baloch, and Zohaib Hussain Baloch.

Lyari Football Academy clinched the silver medal as runners-up in the Boys Under-16 category at the Singa Cup Football Tournament in Singapore.