Relations have not been smooth between GCC countries ever since the illegal siege of Qatar began on June 5.

And in signs that the frosty relations have leaked onto the sports field as well, the GCC Volleyball Organising Committee has cancelled all its tournaments owing to the ongoing crisis, reported The Peninsula.

However, Qatar has not taken kindly to the cancellation of the tournaments, which included the GCC Junior Championships, which it was scheduled to organise next month. 

Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) president Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari has said that the sports body wiull initiate legal measures against the GCC Volleyball Organizing Committee for cancellation of the tournaments, said a report in Qatar Tribune.

Al Kuwari said that Qatar, which was given the right to stage the GCC junior volleyball, would seek to offset the damage caused by the cancellation of the championship. The QVA had signed a number of agreements with various sponsors, hotels and institutions to organise the tournament at the highest possible standards in line with Qatar’s policy.