KARACHI (Kashmir English): Pakistan’s under-16 volleyball team is all set to participate in the Asian Men’s U16 Volleyball Championship, scheduled to be held in Thailand from July 12 to 19.
Pakistan is hoping to qualify for the 2026 FIVB U17 World Championship. The tournament, organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation, will be held in Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi, featuring 16 teams.
The teams will be divided into four pools with the top four teams securing direct qualification for the 2026 FIVB U17 World Championship, which will expand to 24 teams, up from 16 in its inaugural edition last year.
Pakistan has been put in Pool D alongside Chinese Taipei (2023 bronze medalists), Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
Pakistan’s Volleyball Championship campaign
The team will play the opener against South Korea on July 12, followed by a match against Saudi Arabia on July 13. The side will conclude the group stage against Chinese Taipei on July 14.
The Pakistan Volleyball Federation has already finalized 19-member provisional squad for the tournament.
The probables include Abid Mehmood, Asad Ullah, Azhar Mehmood, Faizan Khalid, Faizan Ullah, Faraz Ahmad, Hayat Sher Khan, Muhammad Abbas Mastaan, Muhammad Faizan, Muhammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Junaid, Muhammad Naseem Haider, Muhammad Talha Mehar, Muhammad Umar, Muhammad Waleed Khan, Saran Baig, Usman Ali, and Wahab Abdullah.
The final side will be selected from these players ahead of the tournament.
In 2023 edition of the championship held in Uzbekistan, Pakistan finished fourth after a hard-fought 3-2 loss to Chinese Taipei in the bronze-medal match.
Despite the defeat, Pakistan secured a place in the 2024 U17 World Championship in Bulgaria, where Chinese Taipei secured third place.
The tournament will be played on a round-robin group stage pattern, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the classification rounds. The semifinals and finals are scheduled for July 19.
