Football in Pakistan

The origin of football in Pakistan can be traced back to mid-nineteenth century when the game was introduced during the British Raj. Initially, games were played between army teams. However, clubs were soon set up around the country. One of the regional federations to organise football in what is now Pakistan Territory was the North-West India Football Association, in which clubs from the city of Lahore and the surrounding region were active.[5] Kohat FC was the first club to be established in 1930, it became the first outstation team to win the North-West India Football Championship 1937 in 1937 defeating Government College Lahore 1–0 in the finals.[5] In addition a club league was organised in Lahore, won in 1936/37 by Old Boys Club.[5] The first female club to be established was Diya W.F.C. in 2002.[6]

Football in Pakistan is as old as the country itself.[7] Shortly after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was created, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became its first Patron-in-Chief. PFF received recognition from FIFA in early 1948.[8] The annual National Championship was organized shortly after. In 1950, the national team gained their first international experience in Iran and Iraq. In 1954, the Pakistan National Team participated in the Asian Games at Manila and also toured the Far East. In 1958, Pakistan again took part in the Tokyo Asian Games. Pakistan also took part in the annual Asian Quadrangular Tournament.[8] However, the game could not develop as smoothly as it should have.[9] Pakistan's participation in international competitions has not been regular. The standard achieved in the early 1950s could not be maintained because of the lack of organization in the game.

The National Football Challenge Cup is an annual competition deciding the winners through a round robin group stage and single-legged knockout format.