FIFA World Cup 2026 nears kickoff

The Pakistan Under-16 Boys Volleyball Team, which made history by winning the gold medal at the 2nd Asian U16 Volleyball Championship 2025 in Thailand, was honored with cash rewards under the Federal Government's sports incentive policy during a ceremony held in Islamabad. The young national team achieved a landmark success by securing Pakistan's first-ever Asian title in age-group volleyball. Their historic triumph also earned qualification for the FIVB Boys U17 World Championship 2026, placing Pakistan among the world's emerging volleyball nations. Federal Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani attended the ceremony as the chief guest. Also present were Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) Chairman Chaudhary Muhammad Yaqoob, PVF President Sohail Khawar, officials, coaches, players and distinguished guests. Speaking on the occasion, PVF Chairman Chaudhary Muhammad Yaqoob highlighted Pakistan's growing stature in international volleyball and announced that Pakistan will host the CAVA Men's Volleyball Championship 2026 from July 22 to 29 in Islamabad. The prestigious event will feature ten participating nations: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. The championship is expected to be one of the largest international volleyball events ever hosted in the country and will provide valuable exposure to Pakistan's national team while promoting volleyball across the region. Yaqoob further said that the 16th Asian Boys U18 Volleyball Championship will be held in China from July 12 to 18, 2026, while the FIVB Boys U17 World Championship is scheduled to take place in Qatar from August 19 to 29, 2026. Pakistan's U17 team will represent the country on the world stage after qualifying through its historic gold-medal-winning performance at the Asian U16 Championship. As part of preparations for the World Championship, the Pakistan U17 team is expected to undertake an international training tour in France. The tour, being arranged through international volleyball cooperation, is expected to feature a three-nation series involving Brazil, Iran and Pakistan, providing the young players with high-level competition and valuable international exposure ahead of the global event. The PVF expressed gratitude to the Government of Pakistan, Ministry of IPC, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), sponsors, coaches, athletes and all stakeholders for their continued support in the development of volleyball in the country. During the ceremony, the Pakistan Sports Board awarded Rs600,000 to each player of the championship-winning team. In recognition of their contribution to the historic achievement, the coaching staff was also granted a collective cash reward of Rs1 million.