DUSHANBE, January 5, Asia-Plus – By resolution of Tajikistan’s Football Federation (TFF) coach of the soccer team Vakhsh (Qurghon Teppa) Salohiddin Ghafforov has been appointed to head Tajik Olympic soccer team, Shavkat Ahmadov, a spokesman for the TFF, said Saidov.
According to him, Ghafforov has taken over Karim Toshpulodov as the chief coach of Tajik Olympic soccer team.
Soccer has been been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896 and 1932 as a men’s competition sport. Women’s soccer was added to the official program in 1996. The men’s soccer is the only team sport in the Summer Olympic which has 16 particpating teams (the other have 12 or less).
The qualifying tournament, like that for the World Cup, is organized along continental lines. In the 2008 Beijing Games Asia will get four places, including hosting nation China.
According to Ahmadov, Tajikistan, will pay its qualifying match with Uzbekistan in February.
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing, China from August 8, 2008 thrugh August 24, 2008.
