March 28, 2003	Friday	Muharram 24, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, March 27: Pakistan sports still reeling from the affects of 9/11 suffered a fresh setback Thursday when the volleyball’s continental body took this year’s 12th Asian Senior Championship away from them and allotted it to China.

Islamabad were to host the championship between Sept 4 and 12 at the Liaquat Gymnasium but the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AFC) said some of the teams were hesitant to play in Pakistan, therefore it had decided to change the venue.

Muhammad Afzal, secretary of the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) said that they had now submitted their bid to stage the championship in 2005 and the AVC was certain to grant them the right to host the event.

Ever since the terrorists attacks of 9/11 on the United States, foreign teams and players have refused to come to Pakistan because of security concerns.

Only last week the SAF Games that were to run in Islamabad from March 29 to April 7 were postponed for the third time since 2001 because of the war in Iraq.

Sometimes earlier, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) had moved Pakistan’s home Davis Cup tie against New Zealand to Hamilton because of players’ safety.

Similarly the Australian and West Indies cricket teams had refused to come to Pakistan for scheduled tours which were then played on neutral grounds.