Pakistan will host the 14th South Asian Games from April 3–11 next year
Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar will host the multi-sporting event
The Games were delayed by six years after being postponed multiple times, including due to COVID-19
Pakistan will host the 14th edition of the South Asian Games from April 3 to 11 next year in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar after a delay of six years.
In a recent meeting held in Islamabad, South Asia Olympic Council (SAOC) approved the dates and venues of the multi-sporting event of the South Asian region.
The Games were initially to be held in 2021, but postponed several times due to various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, before the proposed dates were pushed back by a month again from March to April next year.
Pakistan will host the Games 23 years after it last staged the regional meet in Islamabad in 2004.
The SAOC took the decision at its Executive Committee meeting held in Islamabad on Sunday under the chairmanship of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Arif Saeed, who is also president of the South Asian body.
The meeting, while reviewing preparations for the Games, approved three cities -- Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar -- to the event. Representatives from Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka attended the meeting in person.
The officials later inspected proposed sporting venues in Islamabad.
A POA official confirmed that India’s representative participated in the meeting via video link. But he conceded that until now there is no confirmation that India will send its contingent to Islamabad given the political relations between the two countries.
But he said that India’s representative participating in the meeting and endorsing the dates were good signs that India intended to participate.
Another official source, who attended the meeting, said at no stage had the Indian representative indicated or confirmed India’s participation in the Games. He also noted that India didn’t send a team for a recent volleyball tournament in Islamabad.
In New Delhi, an official source simply said that the IOA will stick to the Government of India's policy on this matter. He did not elaborate much.
The Games will feature 28 sports and 346 medal events, with more than 3,200 athletes expected to participate. A large number of technical officials will also be part of the event, with Pakistan preparing to host around 4,000 athletes and other foreign visitors.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has already approved the budget for the Games and will be released next week.
