Pakistan fails to send volleyball team to Iran

KARACHI: Pakistan’s senior volleyball team received a major blow when it failed to proceed to Iran on Monday for playing five practice matches in Tehran to prepare for the Islamic Games and World Championship Qualifiers.

‘The News’ learnt that all the arrangements for the team had been made in Iran but it could not fly because of financial and NOC issues.

A source in the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) told this correspondent that it was a great setback for the team as it was deprived of playing precious practice matches ahead of important international competitions. “It’s a big setback, no doubt,” the source said.

He said accommodation and matches had been arranged by the hosts and it was embarrassing that the team could not be sent.

He said the development had disturbed Pakistan’s coach Hamid Movahidi, who hails from Iran and has been preparing the lot for the last one month in Islamabad.

Pakistan are to appear in the Islamic Games in Baku from May 12-22 and World Championship Qualifiers to be held in Kyrgyzstan later this month.

“How will a team perform when it does not get any foreign tour before international assignments,” he said.

Movahidi was very enthusiastic about the tour. In an interview with this correspondent soon after he took charge of Pakistan team early last month he had said that a few practice matches in Iran would enable him to make a proper plan for Baku and Kyrgyzstan.

Both are tough tasks for Pakistan who have not got enough international exposure during the last few years.