Pakistan set to hire Ali Aroji as volleyball coach

KARACHI: Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) is set to hire the services of Iranian coach Ali Pour Aroji.

"Yes, we are inducting Ali who is a knowledgeable coach," PVF chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob told 'The News' on Thursday.

"He will come in the first week of next month and we will discuss with him the junior and senior teams, the camps and coming events. He will be hired initially for three months and then his contract will be extended if he lives up to the expectations," Yaqoob said.

"He has worked as an assistant coach with Iran's former Argentinian coach Julio Velasco. He has also coached Bangladesh team," Yaqoob said.

Tehran-born Ali is a level-III coach and has also done his PhD in physical education. He will replace Brazilian coach Cristiano Rodrigues Campos whose contract as Pakistan coach expired last month.

In the past few years, Iranian coaches Ali Reza Moameri, Hamid Movahedi and Rahman Mohammadi Rad had some productive stints as Pakistan coaches. Pakistan juniors won their maiden bronze medal in the Asian Junior Championship in 2008 when Ali Reza Moameri was Pakistan's coach.

The Asian Championship is slated to be hosted by Iran in Tehran from August 18-26. The Asian Games volleyball event will be conducted from September 19-26 in Hangzhou, China.

The PVF plans to provide exposure to the senior team ahead of the two major continental assignments this year. "Our senior team will go to Iran on July 1 and we will hold camps in Iran and Turkey and will play with their best teams during our one-and-a-half-month stay there. It will enable our team to make solid preparation for the Asian Championship," Yaqoob said.

"And after the Asian Championship we will go to the Asian Games. It is a good plan and will help the team a lot if we are able to implement it properly," he said.

"Engro will also help us in this plan which is indispensable to execute if we are to prepare a solid side for the two major events," Yaqoob said.

"We have strong links with Iran and Turkey. I will also talk to Turkey and hopefully we will be able to provide a fine training opportunity to our elite side," said Yaqoob, a former top police official.

He said that Pakistan Under-16 and Under-18 teams camps are already in operation.

"We have set up an Under-18 camp in Sialkot through the assistance of the Punjab Volleyball Association which is fully backing the training financially," Yaqoob said.

"Our under-16 team camp is in progress in Peshawar with the support of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB). This team will feature in the Asian Under-16 Championship in July in Tashkent," Yaqoob said. He said that the inaugural professional volleyball league's fate will be decided latter.