Pakistan eyeing volleyball gold at South Asian Games

KARACHI: Pakistan volleyball captain Naseer Ahmed said on Sunday that his side would give its hundred percent in the 12th South Asian Games.

“All boys are in good rhythm and InshaAllah we will perform well in India,” Naseer told ‘The News’ in an interview from Islamabad.

“Our players are of good height. They have been in the camp for the last one month. We have picked three youngsters. Sheraz will make his international debut. Murad and Idrees have gone on tours in the past but haven’t got enough chances. They are highly talented,” the country’s top spiker said.

Naseer, who plays league in Lebanon, joined the camp the other day. He said that volleyball had suffered during the last couple of years because of the conflict among officials. “National events could not be held regularly which affected other sports disciplines as well,” he said. “You find new players by conducting national and local events. But I feel now that the federation has done a great job during the last few months and the damage has been overcome to a certain extent,” Naseer added.

“If we start a professional league, it will help the game a lot,” he said.

“Iran and Pakistan used to be of equal standard. Iran started investing money in volleyball and now they are the leading side of Asia. If you ask any youngster in Iran what game he will play he will say that he will play volleyball,” Naseer added.

Naseer has also had stints with clubs of Dubai and Iran.

The volleyball event will be held in Guwahati. Both Pakistan men and women teams will proceed to India on Tuesday (tomorrow).

Pakistan won gold medals in the 1989 Islamabad and 1993 Bangladesh South Asian Games.

This time the Green-shirts may reclaim the title.

Pakistan Volleyball Federation’s (PVF) secretary Shahid Kamal is confident. “I hope this time we will win the gold medal. We have developed a good team,” Shahid told this correspondent.

Pakistan have been placed in Group B with Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the Maldives.

India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan are in Group A.

Pakistan will face the Maldives in their opener on February 5, Afghanistan on February 6 and Bangladesh on February 7.

The semi-finals will be held on February 8 and the final on February 9.

PVF has unveiled both men and women teams. Aimal Khan, who plays league in Taiwan, is also in the list.

Women side will return to the biennial event after two decades. Pakistan’s women last featured in the 1995 Madras (Chennai) South Asian Games in which they won bronze medal.

The men team is training in Islamabad while the women are training in Lahore. Their camp had been shifted to Punjab capital because of security issues in the federal capital.

Men squad: Naseer Ahmed (captain), Aimal Khan, Asif Nadeem, Binyamin, Mubashir Reza, Muneer Khan, Murad, Nasir Khan, Imran Sultan, Sheraz, Mohammad Idrees, Mohib Rasool Officials: Mazhar Hussain (coach), Zaheer Abbas, Zaman (both assistant coaches), Shahid Kamal (manager)

Women squad: Saima Sahar, Atiya Maqbool, Sehrish Nawaz, Azra Farooq, Bismah Idrees, Nazia Sultana, Sobia Ghafoor, Amina Zafar, Shabana Sheikh  Officials: Kifayatullah (head coach), Fareeha Farooq (assistant coach), Razzaq Gill (manager).