LAHORE: India and Afghanistan have confirmed participation in the Central Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship scheduled to be held in Lahore from July 3 to 10, according to the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF).
PVF chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob said the federation had forwarded both countries’ participation details to the foreign ministry to facilitate visa processing for the teams.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Yaqoob said sports should remain separate from politics under the International Olympic Committee charter.
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives and Nepal have also confirmed participation in the eight-nation tournament, while Iran and Uzbekistan are expected to join as well.
Championship to offer world ranking points
The PVF said the tournament is a recognised world ranking event and will provide ranking points to participating teams.
Officials added that the championship would also allow Pakistan to showcase its organisational capabilities in hosting international sporting events.
The federation also announced plans for the inaugural National Volleyball League, which will take place in Lahore from July 19 to August 5. The league will feature six franchise teams, each including two foreign players.
Pakistan volleyball teams preparing for international events
The PVF said Pakistan’s Under-16 team, which won gold last year, has already qualified for the Under-17 World Championship scheduled in Doha from August 19 to 29.
Pakistan will also participate in the Asian U-18 Volleyball Championship in Bahrain and the Asian Games in Japan later this year.
During the press conference, Yaqoob criticised the Pakistan Sports Board over funding and delays in issuing no-objection certificates for international participation, saying the federation faced financial losses after missing an event in Chinese Taipei last year.
Today's E-Paper