World cup fever: Brazil visa waiver for Pakistani football fans

[Devil Soul]

World cup fever: Brazil visa waiver for Pakistani football fans
By APP
Published: June 12, 2014

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani’s travelling to Brazil for Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Football World Cup, will not require a visa to enter the country, said the Brazilian Ambassador in Pakistan Alfredo Leoni.

“Here in Pakistan, we’ve given 100 per cent waiver on visas to Pakistan fans to help them enjoy football extravaganza in our country,” he said

Around 500 excited Pakistani fans are travelling to Brazil to witness the biggest sporting carnival- the 2014 FIFA Football World Cup, Brazilian Ambassador in Pakistan Alfredo Leoni said on Thursday.

“We have issued visas to around 200 people from Pakistan, while the rest of Pakistanis are travelling to our country from other parts of the world,” Leoni told Rawalpindi Islamabad Sports Journalists Association (RISJA) here at Brazilian Embassy.

A RISJA delegation led by its chairman, Syed Ehtesham-ul-Haq and President Nasir Raja called on Brazilian Ambassador and presented him a souvenir in connection with FIFA World Cup that rolls into action in Brazil on Thursday.

Leoni praised Pakistan for supplying the balls for the World Cup and added that he was optimistic that the friendship and economic ties between the two countries would bolster in the years to come.

He said football is the world’s most popular sport and the fact that FIFA chose Pakistan to manufacture footballs for the World Cup tournament is not only an honour for Pakistan but also for him.

“Though Pakistan is 164th ranked soccer team, it has left all others behind in production of quality balls. I feel proud to be Ambassador in a country whose 100 per cent balls would be used in the FIFA World Cup,” he added.

Pakistan produces around 70 per cent of the total number of hand-made soccer balls in the world. Around the time of the World Cup the production jumps to more than 60 million balls. The central Pakistani city of Sialkot is the hub of the country’s football manufacturing industry.

Apart from producing footballs, cricket bats, and badminton rackets for domestic consumption, this small town also exports to the rest of the world.

Syed Ehtesham and Nasir Raja said that Brazil is amongst the top favorites in the 32-nation event and expressed their good wishes for Brazilian team and the nation. Brazil has come a long way since 2010 with a young squad eager to dominate in the international arena

 

[Dubious]

is this true

 

[Counter-Errorist]

is this true

What's so funny?

 

[Devil Soul]

'Visa waiver for Pakistani fans travelling to the World Cup'
By APP

Close to 500 Pakistani fans are travelling to Brazil to witness the biggest sporting carnival. -Photo by AFP
ISLAMABAD: Close to 500 Pakistani fans are travelling to Brazil to witness the biggest sporting carnival - the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil’s Ambassador to Pakistan Alfredo Leoni said on Thursday.

“We have issued visas to around 200 people from Pakistan, while the rest of Pakistanis are travelling to our country from other parts of the world,” Leoni told reporters at the Brazilian Embassy here.

Also read: The Brazuca: A ballsy move by Sialkoti entrepreneurs

“Here in Pakistan, we've given 100 per cent waiver on visas to Pakistani fans to help them enjoy football extravaganza in our country,” he said.

Leoni praised Pakistan’s football manufacturing industry which will be supplying the balls being used at this year’s World Cup.

Pakistan secured the contract when FIFA World Cup’s Chinese supplier Adidas failed to keep up with the demand of footballs in Rio de Janeiro. Sialkot ball manufacturing company Forward Sports stepped in and secured the deal. They had only 33 days to make it happen but they managed and now Pakistan will be represented at the World Cup by the ‘Brazuca’.

“Though Pakistan is a 164th-ranked football team, it has left all others behind in production of quality balls. I feel proud to be ambassador in a country which will be supplying all the balls being used in the FIFA World Cup,” he added.

Pakistan produces around 70 per cent of the total number of hand-made balls in the world. Around the time of the World Cup the production jumps to more than 60 million balls. The Pakistani city of Sialkot is the hub of the country's football manufacturing industry.

Forward Sports owner, Malik Khwaja Masood Akhtar, told DW he had prepared footballs for a number of international events, but preparing ‘Brazucas’ was more challenging.

“We normally make hand-made footballs. Manufacturing machine-made balls was a tough task. We had to use various computer programs and modern equipment to produce the footballs. We didn't have experts who could do this job, but we worked hard and did not compromise on quality,” Akhtar added.

 

[Dubious]

What's so funny?

no one gives us free visa

 

[Secur]

no one gives us free visa

You sure ? Srilanka , Nepal , Cambodia , Laos , Madagascar e.t.c offer " visa on arrival " to Pakistanis .