KARACHI: Pakistan men’s volleyball team will tour Qatar for a few practice matches ahead of the Asian Championship, which will be held in Indonesia from July 24 to August 1, said Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob on Wednesday. “Every team before any international event needs a foreign tour as a tune-up,” explained Yaqoob. “As the team is going to participate in the Asian Championship at the end of this month so we have planned a tour of Qatar too. This will help them prepare for the tough assignment in Indonesia.” Yaqoob further said: “The road towards the Asian Championship will begin from July 16 when our team will leave for Qatar, where they will play at least four matches against their national team. We had requested them for tour matches and they cooperated. They also invited Iraq and turned it into a mini tri-nations tournament.” He further said the team, after playing matches in Doha, will fly off to Indonesia on July 20 or 21. “The team will reach the Asian Championship venue at least three days before so they could get used to the conditions there,” said Yaqoob. Pakistan, who finished 10th in the last continental event, have been placed in Group B with last edition’s runners-up Iran, Chinese Taipei and Iraq. The 14-member team for the twin tours will be named soon. Published in Daily Times, July 6th , 2017.