U18 ASIAN VOLLEYBALL: Pak spikers face NZ today

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Iranian volleyball coach Hamid Movahedi on Thursday said that his youth side would try to offer good resistance to strong New Zealand in their group opener of the 12th Asian and Oceania Boys Under-18 Volleyball Championship in Tabriz (Iran) today (Friday).

“You know New Zealand are very strong side. Their players are physically very strong and experienced while we last year formed our youth team and this is the first time that Pakistan is featuring in the youth event of the continent. But despite all this I am confident the team will show grace in the opener against New Zealand,” Movahedi told ‘The News’ from Tabriz.

Uzbekistan is the other side in Pakistan’s group in the 18-team event.

Ahead of the game against New Zealand Pakistan also played four practice matches against Qatar, Oman, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong. The Greenshirts lost to Oman 2-3 while Movahedi’s charges won the rest of the three matches quite convincingly.

But Movahedi said that practice matches were not so important. “The practice matches are not so important. Such matches only help coaches to check the chemistry of the outfit and to see how it would work in the competition. But still it’s good that the team showed some grace and is ready for New Zealand test tomorrow,” Istanbul-based coach said.

He said that Qatar had toured Italy and played several matches there while Oman and other sides too had prepared very well.

He said that it would be a good experience for Pakistan to play at this level. “I think the event here will benefit Pakistan as these players are the future of the country,” Movahedi said.

The coach was very happy with the facilities given to the participating teams. “The facilities are excellent here. Everything is amazing,” the coach said.

Four leading sides of the competitions will make it to the World Youth Championships.

Mohavedi has trained the side for eight months along with national junior team which will feature in July in the Asian Under-20 Championship to be held in Manama, Bahrain.

The event is being held under a new format. Nine top-ranked sides have been placed in Division-1, which will fight for the four World Championship places.

The remaining nine low-ranked sides are in Division-2. And the winners from here will qualify for the Division-1 next season. Pakistan are in Group B2 (Division-2).

Oman, India and Kazakhstan are in Group A2 while Qatar, Malaysia and Turkmenistan are in Group C2. In Division-1 Group A1 contains Japan, South Korea and China, Group B1 carries Iran, Chinese Taipei and Thailand and Group C1 contains Australia, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.