Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing international airlines and a major sporting sponsor, has announced its sponsorship of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, to be held in Karachi from December 7 17.
This year's competition will feature three-time champion India, title holders Bangladesh, host Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan, battle it out for the top spot. It will be second SAFF Championship to be played on Pakistani soil. The Karachi's People's Sports Complex will play host to the sixth edition of the event, where a total of 15 matches will be played over an 11-day period.
Vice President Pakistan Emirates Airline, Adnan Kazim said: "Emirates is delighted to be associated with a sporting event that brings us closer to our customers. Through sponsorship of events such as the South Asian Football Federation Championship we hope to build a greater awareness and interest for football in Pakistan.
The 2005 edition of the SAFF Championship will retain the same format as in 2003, with B teams being divided into two groups of four each for single round-robin play. The top two teams from each group will then proceed advancing to the semi-finals. The winning team will walk away with USD 50,000 in prize money while the runners-up will win USD 25,000.
The SAFF Championship is held biennially to promote the development of football as a sport in South Asia. Launched at Lahore's Railway Stadium in 1993 as SAARC Gold Cup; the first two editions were held in Lahore (1993) and Colombo (1995).
From 1997 onwards it has been known as the SAFF Championship. Kathmandu (1997), Goa (1999) and Dhaka (2003) were other hosts of this sporting event. The forthcoming event will be the fourth under the new title 'SAFF' Championship.
In the past few years, Emirates has gained a unique reputation for global sports sponsorship. Its global portfolio covers numerous sports events including the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Arsenal Football Club, Emirates Stadium (starting 2006 season), and a host of high-profile horse - racing, tennis, rugby, sailing and cricket events around the world.-PR
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