Srinagar, May 19: Young star footballer of J&K, AsrarRehbar got off to a brilliant start in the QIA Champions League 2023 as he went on to score a goal on his debut.
AsrarRehbar scored a goal in his debut match for the City Exchange FC in the QIA Champions League as they beat Orbit FC by 5-0 at Doha Sports Stadium on Thursday.
Despite having arrived in Doha only a day earlier, Asrar was handed his debut by the team in the second half of the match. He went on to score a goal as Exchange FC emerged the winner by 5-0. In its next game, the team will clash with QIE Speed Force.
“It is a great feeling to get off to a brilliant start in the league. I value team success more than personal milestones but to score a goal on debut makes it extra special,” Asrar said.
“I was not expecting to play as I reached Doha only a day before after travelling from India. I had not trained with the team properly as of yet and travel fatigue was also there. However, team management has shown trust in me and handed me a debut. It is a real morale booster as I am now sure that management is supportive of players,” he said.
QIA Champions League is the Qatar Indian Association (QIA)’s flagship football tournament. Since its inception in 2013, QIA has earned plaudits for its innovative tournament concept, which brings together professional footballers from India and expatriates living in Qatar in a month-long footballing extravaganza.
Asrar is the first-ever player from Kashmir to play in the league.
“To play in this type of league is an honour. It is also an opportunity to learn from the best and improve as a player. It will also help me to learn new things in the state-of-the-art facilities that Qatar has,” he said.