The Leisure Leagues Karachi Intra-City Six-a-Side Football Championship commenced here Saturday at KMC Stadium, where a total of 72 teams are vying for top honors. The 72 teams have qualified after either winning or finishing second in different Leisure Leagues' tournaments and leagues. The 72 teams have been divided into two groups of 36 teams each. The bottom four teams in the groups will have to play one extra match to claim a spot in 32-team knockout phase.
The knockout phase will eventually give a winner of the championship, who will earn a berth in the Leisure National Championship, which will be played in July in Karachi. The Karachi Intra-City will conclude today (Sunday).
More than 70 teams, of as many cities, will feature in National Championship, which will eventually give a national champion, who will win a 'prized' ticket to Crete, Greece and get the honor to represent Pakistan in the second edition of Socca World Cup. The International Socca Federation (ISF) marquee event will be held in October.
Leisure Leagues have reached out to over 70 cities and conducted its league with an aim to give a right to every person in Pakistan, who wants to play the beautiful game of football, which is the vision of Mr. Mehmood Trunkwala, Chairman World Group. Leisure Leagues is the initiative of the World Group and Trunkwala Family.
There are almost 20 cities of the country where LLP has hosted more than one league - therefore it will hold intra-city championships in those cities so that a city champion can emerge from there as well, similar to Karachi.
The city champion teams will be divided in groups of four teams each to play group stage matches in their respective regions. Top 20 teams will play in the LLP National Finals in Karachi in July this year.