National volleyball camp to begin from 25th

KARACHI: National volleyballers will assemble in Islamabad on May 25 to kick-start their preparation for the Asian Seniors Men’s Volleyball Championship which will be hosted by Iran in Tehran from July 31 to August 8.
“Yes, the camp will start on May 25, most probably in Islamabad,” Pakistan Volleyball Federation’s (PVF) secretary Shahid Kamal told ‘The News’ on Wednesday.
“We have written to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for handing over the facility of the Liaquat Gymnasium to us for the camp and hopefully there will be no problem,” Shahid said.
The PVF has re-established its working relationship with the PSB after amending its constitution in the light of the national sports policy.
The PVF held elections on May 16 in Lahore in which Mohammad Yaqoob and Iftikhar Ahmed were elected as chairman and president, respectively, for the next four years.
Shahid got elected as secretary.
Shahid said 25 players had been invited to the camp which would be supervised by coaches Mazhar Hussain and Khalid Waqar.
“We are also considering inducting a coach from Navy into the coaching panel. But only two coaches will accompany the side to Tehran,” Shahid said.
The PVF sent the entries of 25 players to the organisers on May 16.
The country’s leading player Aimal Khan will be missing the camp because of his engagement in a foreign league.
The federation has included a few youngsters in the list of probable players.
Shahid said they were competent enough to make their international debuts. “I think the youngsters we have picked during the national championship are highly talented. I hope at least three will be able to make it to the touring party,” Shahid added.
The PVF had planned to provide some training tour to its players ahead of the Asian Championship but now Shahid thinks otherwise.
“We have little time and we also don’t have the money. A foreign tour could have been very good for the team but currently we are not in a position to manage any,” the official said.
The players will continue training in Ramadan. “The boys will train after sunset in Ramadan. I think it will not be a problem to do so because in the past too our team has trained in the holy month,” Shahid added.
He said the PVF planned to have its own marketing wing. “Finances are the real issue. We have already worked out to establish our marketing wing. This matter along with other issues relating to various committees will be put before the executive committee. Hopefully, we will start generating revenue,” Shahid added.
Meanwhile, the PVF chairman Yaqoob said the PVF would be trying to benefit from the development fund of the international volleyball governing body (FIVB).
“They are actually more interested in helping nations which are in category 1 and 2 which are less developed. Pakistan is in category 3; so we are yet to benefit from it,” Yaqoob said. “We had sent a project in the past but it was not okayed. But this time we will try to get some benefit from the fund which is mostly spent on coaches, referees, school and college level volleyball,” Yaqoob said. Due to financial constraints, Pakistan missed the inaugural Asian Under-23 Championship which concluded in Myanmar on Wednesday with Iran emerging as the champions after beating South Korea 3-0 in the final. Both qualified for the World Championship.
“We could have formed a solid Under-23 team, but some issues forced us to decide against it,” Yaqoob said.
He pledged that the PVF would try its best to send a club to feature in the Asian Club Championship.
“WAPDA are a club and we will try to send them to the Asian Club Championship,” Yaqoob said.