Asian Volleyball Championships

Pakistan’s chances of participation boosted as IPC minister vows support

By our correspondent

KARACHI: Pakistan’s senior volleyball team’s participation chances in the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championships have been boosted as federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza has decided to back the volleyballers.

“The minister has promised that the government will support volleyball,” Pakistan Volleyball Federation’s (PVF) secretary Shah Naeem Zafar told ‘The News’ here on Wednesday.

“I am thankful to the minister who in a volleyball function in Islamabad the other day took keen interest in the sport and promised to support Pakistan team during its Iran tour next month,” Shah said.

The Asian Championships will be held in Tehran from September 13 to 21. As many as 16 nations are set to feature in the Asian Championships. Pakistan have been clubbed in Group D with four-time champions South Korea, last edition’s No 4 side Indonesia and Kuwait which did not feature in the last edition held in Gresik, Indonesia, in 2017.

Iran, Australia, Qatar and Sri Lanka form Group A, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Hong Kong are in Group B, while Kazakhstan, China, Oman and India have been bracketed in Group C.

Pakistan will begin their journey with their fixture against South Korea on September 13. This will be followed by their matches against Indonesia on September 14 and Kuwait on September 15.

Meanwhile, Shah also informed that Pakistan camp also started on Tuesday at Rodham Hall of the Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad, under Korean coach Kim Kyoung Hoon, who replaced former Pakistan’s Iranian coach Hamid Movahedi in May.

Shah said that their key players Mubashir and Razzaq will also join the camp in a couple of days after they return from abroad due to their club commitments.

A few days ago, PVF senior officials were seen in deep pressure and they conceded that if state did not provide funds Pakistan might miss the continental event in Iran.