Meeting today to discuss South Asian Games

LAHORE: A high-level meeting of the country’s major sports stakeholders including IPC Ministry, Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), national federations and Punjab government will be held here on Monday (today) to discuss the important matters relating to the 14th South Asian Games which Pakistan is supposed to host early next year.

The meeting will be chaired by the IPC secretary Nadeem Irshad Kayani. The meeting will begin at noon in the Committee Room of Youth Affairs and Sports Department Government of Punjab. The agenda of the meeting is to deliberate further on the issues regarding holding of the 14th South Asian Games and to discuss financial matters pertaining to the biennial event.

Besides the IPC secretary, DG Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Punjab government secretary finance, Director General Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab, Secretary General POA and represdentatives of federations of athletics, archery, badminton, cycling, boxing, football, handball, hockey, kabaddi, wushu, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, baseball, swimming weightlifting, taekwondo, karate, NRAP, rowing, basketball, squash, golf, judo, triathlon and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will attend the meeting.

The meeting notice has been issued by the Government of Punjab Youth Affairs and Sports Department. Punjab will play a major role in holding of the biennial extravaganza as its major centre which will host competition in majority of the disciplines. And according to sources Punjab government will be given huge responsibility relating to administration, security and financial matters.

In the meeting, the venues in Punjab will also be discussed.

Sources said that the POA has been proactive and in constant contact with the South Asian nations despite the fact that participating nations are not so happy because the Games have been delayed a lot. Sources said that the POA will also write a letter to the South Asian nations on Monday (today) that they will be assembled in the last week of August in Pakistan soon after Paris Olympics to give finishing touches to the Games.

This correspondent has learnt that the POA has also told the current regime that it should go for the formation of Organising Committee and Steering Committee as without that it would be difficult to proceed. Sources said that national federations have almost done their home work and have chosen such venues in Lahore where there will be no such major need of upgradation. Sources said that it is likely that Organising Committee will be made operational in June.

Sources said that preparatory camps are expected to be started in September. A highly responsible source said that the authorities are mulling an option to hold the South Asian Games around the end of January and start of February 2025 as there they can get a week before the ICC Champions Trophy which Pakistan will host. “In April Games cannot be held due to Pakistan Super League (PSL) and after that heatwave will start,” the source said.

Sources said that the window will be discussed with the South Asian nations when they come in August to Pakistan. It has also been learnt that the POA wants to hold the Inter-Provincial Games in October’s last week and hold National Games in Karachi in the first week of December. This correspondent understands that top level preparation of Pakistani athletes will not be possible for the South Asian Games this time due to shortage of time.