Pak volleyball team to tour Iran in late August

KARACHI: Pakistan senior volleyball team will tour Iran by the end of August to play seven practice matches against different teams in a bid to prepare for the 21st Asian Men’s Senior Volleyball Championship, slated to be held in Japan’s city Chiba from September 12-19.

“Yes, we have planned a tour of Iran and most probably our team will move to Iran on August 21 or 22,” PVF chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob told ‘The News’ on Friday.

“We will play seven matches, four in Tehran and three in Isfahan. We will play against Iran’s senior team, their junior lot and some matches against their top clubs,” Yaqoob said.

“The tour is very important and our Iranian coach is helping us in all arrangements. Yes, we will pay for all the facilities which we get there,” said Yaqoob, a former top police official.

The PVF is considering sending the team from Iran to Japan directly. “Yes, it is an option and we are looking at it. However, it is yet to be finalised,” Yaqoob said.

He said he expected the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to help the federation meet the expenses of the Iran training tour. “We want the PSB to back both our tours. We have already sent the Board the budget for the Japan tour and we will also send the budget for the Iran tour tomorrow,” Yaqoob said.

Pakistan team is currently training at Lahore for the Asian Championship which also serves as qualifiers for the World Championship.

As many as 28 players are in the camp, under the supervision of the newly-hired Iranian coach Rahman Mohammadi Rad.

Meanwhile, Pakistan team captain Aimal Khan said that they were working hard and would give tough time to the opponents in the Asian Championship.

“You know we have resumed activity after one and a half year. And definitely it will take time to get settled. But the camp is going well. Every player is working hard and it’s a good thing,” Aimal told ‘The News’ from Lahore.

“The Iranian coach is a great person. He works very hard with the boys. As there are many players in the camp so four groups have been made and the coach conducts four sessions daily of two hours each and it’s huge work,” said Aimal, a professional spiker.

“I worked with former Iranian coach Hamid Movahedi but Rahman Mohammadi is very good. He knows modern volleyball well. The boys feel a little difficulty in understanding him but the coach does not leave a player unless he learns the techniques. He is teaching everyone without any discrimination,” Aimal said.

He also appreciated the efforts of the PVF chairman Chaudhry Yaqoob for Pakistan’s volleyball. “Yaqoob sahib is doing a great job. He is also trying to arrange a training tour for us and it would be a good step and would help us a lot ahead of the Japan event,” said Aimal, who a few months back played a league in Thailand.

Talking about the next year’s Asian Games and Islamic Games, Aimal said the Japan continental event would be a test for them which would help them for the future events. “The Japan event will be a test for us as we will be playing competitive volleyball after a long time. But I am very much confident the team would build up slowly and would be in top shape for the next’s year’s more important events,” he said.