Pak volleyball players stuck in Thailand

KARACHI: Pakistan’s two top volleyball players Aimal Khan and Mohammad Waseem have been stuck in Thailand due to flights issue because of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

Both had been playing in Thailand Volleyball League from different clubs before everything was closed due to coronavirus issue a few days ago. Aimal, also a Pakistan captain, is in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), which is located 200 kilometres away from Bangkok. He plays for Nakhon Ratchasima Mall Volleyball Club. Waseem, meanwhile, stays in Bangkok and is associated with Air Force, a club of the Thailand Volleyball League. Aimal on Wednesday got some treatment for his throat infection.

“Everything is closed here for the last 25 days because of the coronavirus issue. I am staying at hotel. I had contacted Pakistan embassy in Thailand for a flight. I heard that the other day a flight left for Pakistan but I don’t know why I was not informed by the embassy,” Aimal told The News from Korat.

Aimal was the top scorer of Asia in the last year’s Asian Championship in Iran. The seventh place finish in that event had also enabled Pakistan to play Olympic qualifiers. However due to financial issues the Green-shirts could not feature in that event held last January in China. Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) Chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob on Wednesday told The News that the federation is going to contact Pakistan’s embassy in Thailand.

“I had a contact with Aimal and asked him why they did not return through a flight which came recently, he told me that they had informed Pakistan embassy but it is not known why it did not inform them. I will contact Pakistan embassy tomorrow and hopefully something will be done,” Yaqoob said.