LAHORE: India and Afghanistan have confirmed participation in the eight-nation Central Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship to be held in Lahore from July 3-10, Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob announced on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference here, Yaqoob said the PVF had forwarded the confirmations of both countries to the foreign ministry to ensure timely issuance of visas to their squads.

“Under the IOC Charter, sports should remain separate from political affairs,” Yaqoob said, adding that if Iran could travel to the United States for the FIFA World Cup, there should be no issue for India and Afghanistan to compete in Pakistan.

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives and Nepal have also confirmed participation in the championship, while Iran and Uzbekistan are expected to join the event in the coming days.

Describing the championship as a recognised world ranking event, Yaqoob said the tournament would provide valuable ranking points to participating teams besides offering Pakistan an opportunity to showcase its organisational capabilities.

Meanwhile, the PVF also announced a busy international and domestic calendar for 2026, including the inaugural National Volleyball League to be staged in Lahore from July 19 to Aug 5.

“Six franchise teams, each featuring two foreign players, will participate in the league,” Yaqoob said.

Highlighting Pakistan’s recent progress in the sport, he noted that the national Under-16 team had won a gold medal last year to qualify for the Under-17 World Championship to be held in Doha from Aug 19-29.

A training camp for the side is already under way in Islamabad.

Twenty-four countries, including Brazil, Iran, Italy, Japan, Poland, Turkiye and the United States, will participate in the event.

Pakistan will also compete in the Asian U-18 Volleyball Championship in Bahrain from July 12 to 18, while the senior team is set to feature in the Asian Games in Japan later this year.

The 55th National Men’s Volleyball Championship, meanwhile, will be held in Wah Cantonment from May 19-23 with 16 departmental and provincial teams participating.

PSB SUPPORT CRITICISED

Yaqoob criticised the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for failing to support the Under-16 team despite its historic qualification for the world championship.

“The PSB refused to hold the training camp, which required around Rs2 million per month, forcing the federation to arrange it from its own resources,” he said.

According to Yaqoob, Inter-Provincial Coordination secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani informed him that the PSB had only Rs2 million available despite requiring the same amount monthly for the camp.

“Every year PSB funds lapse, while federations lacking sponsorship and adequate grants struggle to participate in international events and organise domestic competitions,” he added.

Yaqoob also regretted the absence of a dedicated volleyball gymnasium under the federation’s control, noting that funds allocated by the Punjab Sports Board two years ago for a facility had lapsed due to the non-availability of land.

NOC POLICY CONCERNS

The PVF chairman also criticised delays in the issuance of no-objection certificates (NOCs) by the PSB for participation in international events.

“Federations are autonomous bodies under the IOC Charter, but despite that they are required to obtain NOCs from the government without any defined timeframe,” he said.

Yaqoob stressed that federations usually had to confirm participation in international events several months in advance and therefore required timely clearance from authorities.

“If a federation does not receive an NOC at least 15 days before departure, it becomes difficult to organise training camps and make travel arrangements,” he said.

He revealed that the PVF had suffered losses of Rs66 million and faced a fine of $30,000 from the International Volleyball Federation after Pakistan failed to participate in an event in Chinese Taipei last year despite confirming entry and purchasing tickets.

“The government refused to issue the NOC over objections regarding the venue, even though China itself participated in that event,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2026