ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: Ch. Muhammad Yaqub, chairman of the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF), called on the prospective sponsors to turn their attention away from cricket for a change and start supporting other sports.

“I think it is not fair that cricket gets all the sponsors’ attention and sports like volleyball despite our fine performance in the recent Asian Championship, continues to be ignored,” Yaqub told journalists at the Liaquat Gymnasium late on Thursday night.

Although Pakistan finished sixth in the Asian Championship in China in September they scored one of the biggest upsets in history by beating former world champions Japan and also scored victories over Kazakhstan and the UAE.

Yaqub referred to the hefty deal signed between the Pakistan Cricket Board and a major oil company for the forthcoming home series against New Zealand.

“This attitude of the sponsors of shying away from almost all other sports except for cricket is hurting not just volleyball but everybody other sport.”

Yaqub also blamed the media for not being balanced in their coverage of sports, and said cricket was getting more than what it deserved.

He said that plans were afoot to organise a national league on a home and away basis after next year’s SAF Games.

“We are approaching various people for sponsorship in this regard.”

The National Championship on the other hand has been pencilled in for Dec 20 to 26 at the Liaquat Gymnasium where the Pakistan probables are currently preparing for the SAF Games.

As many as 17 teams are to take part in the championship which was last won by Army at Wah.

A club championship is also being planned for December- January for which the PVF has a sponsor, Yaqub said.

The PVF also intends staging an international event before the March 29-April 7 SAF Games in Islamabad or play a bilateral series with a team slightly higher in level than Pakistan.

“I think Iran is one such team and we would like to play against them in February or March.”