Following India's withdrawal, the upcoming Central Asian Volleyball tournament has been moved from Islamabad to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, according to an official from the Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF).
The tournament, originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan from May 28, will now be held on the same dates in Uzbekistan.
The decision was made by the Central Asia Volleyball Association (CAVA) in response to escalating regional tensions after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, many of them tourists.
India had officially withdrawn from the tournament in the aftermath of the incident. PVF official Abdul Ahad previously confirmed that Indian volleyball authorities had informed CAVA about the cancellation of their government-issued No Objection Certificate (NOC), effectively barring the team from participating.
Despite India’s exit, the tournament will proceed with the participation of teams from Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
A senior PVF official expressed disappointment over the relocation but acknowledged the decision. “It’s a major setback for Pakistan volleyball, but we respect the resolution made by CAVA’s General Body,” the official stated.