The President of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee, Haroon Malik, has boldly stated that football will surpass cricket as the most popular sport in Pakistan within the next decade.
Malik’s statement comes as he highlights the immense popularity of football in the country, particularly in regions such as Balochistan, North and South Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and parts of Karachi.
Malik expressed his optimism about the future of the sport during a podcast on YouTube. He emphasized the growing fan base and the increasing participation of young athletes, as well as the promising talent emerging from various parts of the nation.
“If football is regularly played, then the sport will be much bigger than cricket in the country within the next ten years,” Haroon Malik stated.
PFF NC chairman Haroon Malik said "Football will be a bigger sport in Pakistan than cricket within ten years." 🇵🇰⚽#SaveFootballPakistan#GIVETHENOC pic.twitter.com/lgfArfkw7V
— Save Football Pakistan (@PakFootbalVoice) June 6, 2023
Football has indeed gained significant traction in recent years in Pakistan, with the Pakistan national team set to partake in the upcoming competitions. The country has witnessed a steep increase in the popularity of the sport but the longstanding issues have been a problem for the sport.
Pakistan has not seen an improvement in the grassroots level and the infrastructure over the past decade, which has had an adverse impact on the growth of the sport in the country. Meanwhile, cricket has seen a steep increase in developmental programs.
While cricket has long reigned supreme in Pakistan, Malik’s vision for the future of football suggests a shifting dynamic in the country’s sports landscape. Only time will tell whether football can surpass the nation’s beloved cricket.
