Vancouver (Syed Javed Hassan Shah): The Pakistan Football Federation delegation continued its busy programme in Vancouver with a series of bilateral meetings ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress.

PFF president Syed Mohsen Gilani, vice-president Hafiz Zakaullah and Chief Operating Officer Shahid Niaz Khokhar held talks with senior officials from Indonesia, Turkey, Australia and Azerbaijan, with all four countries represented by their federation presidents.

In their meeting with Indonesian Football Association president Erick Thohir, discussions focused on youth development and the establishment of exchange programmes that would open new pathways for young Pakistani footballers within Indonesia’s extensive grassroots setup.

The PFF’s meeting with Turkish Football Federation (TFF) president İbrahim Ethem Hacıosmanoğlu covered coach development and referee education — two areas where Turkey’s established football infrastructure offers considerable expertise — with both federations agreeing to explore structured cooperation.

Talks with Football Australia president Isaac Antler centred on coaching courses and youth development, with Australia’s high-performance environment identified as a strong model for Pakistani football. Both sides also exchanged ideas on innovative approaches to future collaboration.

The PFF delegation’s meeting with Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) president Rovshan Najaf focused on futsal development and exchange programmes, reflecting the growing emphasis the PFF is placing on futsal as a vehicle for broadening football participation across Pakistan.

The Vancouver meetings form part of a wider diplomatic effort by the PFF leadership to build concrete bilateral partnerships that deliver tangible development opportunities for Pakistani football at every level.