Volleyball camps from December 25

KARACHI: Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) has decided to hold men and women teams’ camps in Islamabad from December 25 to prepare for the South Asian Games to be held in the Indian cities of Guwahati and Shillong from February 6-16.

“Yes, both the camps will be held in Islamabad from December 25,” PVF chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob told ‘The News’ on Wednesday.

He said there was no issue of selection of the men’s lot.

He said that effort would be made to organise a national championship for women so that better players could be picked.

“In the first step we will shortlist girls who will be kept in the camp for seven days and then the number of girls will be reduced,” Yaqoob said.

Pakistan fielded a women team in the 1995 Madras South Asian Games and won bronze medal.

That was the first and last appearance of Pakistani women in the biennial spectacle.

This time women volleyball has been made compulsory. “Definitely, it would be tough for our women side as India and Sri Lanka have worked hard on their women’s volleyball,” the PVF official said.

About men’s team, Yaqoob said that 21 players would be initially called for the camp. “Their number will be reduced to 18 and to 12 in the end,” he said.

He said that a national-level event for men would be held in Azad Kashmir from December 20-24. Besides the hosts, there will be participation from the armed forces, WAPDA, Police, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He made it clear that the PVF had no issues with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), saying the Board had recognised his federation.

Yaqoob said that no progress had been made in connection with the hiring of a foreign coach.

“A few coaches are on our radar and we will make every possible effort to recruit one ahead of the South Asian Games,” Yaqoob said.

To a query he said that the preparation timeframe for men’s team was enough, but not for women.  “We should have at least two months camp for women,” Yaqoob said.