FC Porto Signs Partnership Deal with Sialkot Football Academy

SIALKOT: Portuguese football club FC Porto has signed a partnership agreement with a football academy in Sialkot, paving the way for the establishment of Pakistan’s first Dragon Force Academy.

The Sialkot Football Academy is a flagship project of Forward Sports, a Sialkot-based company known for manufacturing official footballs for FIFA World Cup tournaments.

According to a statement issued by the Embassy of Pakistan in Portugal, the partnership will see FC Porto provide a comprehensive football development programme for young Pakistani players while also helping develop the skills of local coaches and managers.

The initiative is expected to provide talented young footballers in Pakistan with an opportunity to benefit from FC Porto’s training methods, experience and football development system.

Ricardo Freire Ramos, director of FC Porto’s Dragon Force Academies, said the partnership would provide an opportunity to share the club’s football development methodology, values and experience with young players in Pakistan.

Hasan Masood Khawaja, president of Sialkot Football Academy and general manager of Forward Sports, described the partnership as a significant development, saying it would open a new chapter for youth football talent in Pakistan.