India pulls out of Asian Volleyball Championship in Pakistan after Pahalgam attack

New Delhi: India has pulled out of the Asian Volleyball Championship set to take place in Islamabad. This move has come in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 tourists.

The Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) announced on Sunday that India has withdrawn its contingent from next month’s Central Asian Volleyball Championship

PVF official Abdul Ahad confirmed that India had initially confirmed a 30-member squad, including 22 players, for the tournament, which was scheduled to begin on May 28 at the Jinnah Complex.

However, following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated. Ahad explained that Indian Volleyball officials had informed the regional body that the Indian government had cancelled the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the event in light of the attack.

"It is disappointing to learn that India has withdrawn from the championship. They will be replaced by either Afghanistan or Sri Lanka," Ahad added.

Teams from Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are still set to participate in the competition.