Hosts Pakistan to face Sri Lanka in Central Asian volleyball opener

Pakistan will begin its Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Men’s Volleyball Championship campaign against Sri Lanka at the Liaquat Gymnasium in the Pakistan Sports Complex on Wednesday, with the tournament set to run through July 29.

After the opening match, Kazakhstan are scheduled to meet Nepal, while Uzbekistan will take on Bangladesh later in the day, according to details shared at the trophy unveiling ceremony in Islamabad on Tuesday. The competition is expected to feature six teams, though Afghanistan’s participation remained uncertain because of documentation issues and the side had not arrived in the capital at the time of reporting.

India, which had initially confirmed its place in the tournament, withdrew before the event began. Pakistan Volleyball Federation chairman Chaudhary Mohammad Yaqoob said the federation had completed the required paperwork at India’s request, secured no-objection certificates and made security arrangements to facilitate their participation. He said it was disappointing that the team pulled out at the last moment.

Speaking at the ceremony, Yaqoob welcomed the visiting teams and technical officials and said the championship would offer a week of competitive international volleyball while also encouraging regional sporting ties. He said the event was among the largest international volleyball tournaments hosted by Pakistan and reflected the country’s growing standing as a safe venue for international sport.

The Pakistan Volleyball Federation also said it hoped fans from across the country would turn out for the matches.

This report is based on a monitored public feed from Dawn Sport. Source attribution has been included near the end, as required.

Source: Dawn Sport - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017387/hosts-pakistan-to-face-sri-lanka-in-central-asian-volleyball-opener