14th South Asian Games: POA chiefs to discuss much-delayed event on November 30

The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) general council is set to adopt the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations regarding the National Olympic Committee’s constitution, which was approved by the assembly on December 1, 2023.

The POA had previously submitted the approved draft to the IOC for their review and feedback.

A reliable source has revealed that the IOC, the foremost global sports authority, has shared its observations with the POA. These observations will be presented to the assembly during the upcoming meeting for approval.

The meeting is scheduled to commence at 11 a.m. on November 30, though the venue has yet to be finalized.

The meeting will be chaired by Syed Mohammad Abid Qadri Gillani, the president of the POA. Among the topics to be discussed is the organization of the 14th South Asian Games.

The correspondent understands that the POA has recently requested the government to confirm a South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) meeting in Pakistan by January 15, 2025, concerning the much-delayed Games.

The SAOC has asked the POA to finalize the meeting details by November 15. Initially planned for this month, the meeting has been postponed to January 2025 to accommodate upcoming elections for National Olympic Committees, including those of the POA and Nepal Olympic Association, scheduled for the end of December.

Sources also mention that India has advised Pakistan to move the SAOC meeting to January 2025 due to potential changes in India’s NOC by the end of December.

South Asian Games planning in focus

The Games are expected to take place between October and November 2025 across three venues, with Lahore serving as the main headquarters supported by Islamabad, while Faisalabad will host only the handball event.

Pakistan was entrusted with the Games’ flag during the 19th South Asian Games in Nepal, but the Games were not held in the past five years for various reasons.

A well-connected source told Nukta that efforts will be made to hold the Games before October 15, 2025, to avoid Punjab’s smog season, which could disrupt the events. The source also mentioned that September is generally unsuitable due to high temperatures in Punjab.

POA autonomy and PSB interference

The Olympic Movement will also be a key topic at the meeting. It appears that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has begun interfering with the POA’s affairs, despite the POA being an autonomous body affiliated with the IOC. Pakistan’s highest judiciary has affirmed the POA’s autonomy, stating that the PSB has no authority to interfere in its operations.

National Games return to Karachi

Another major topic will be the 35th National Games, set to be hosted in Karachi, Sindh, in late January or early February 2025. However, according to sources, the Sindh government has not yet released the initial portion of the approved budget, causing challenges for the organizers. This will mark the first time in 17 years that Karachi hosts the Games, having previously organized them in 2007 under Sindh’s Sports Minister Qamar Mansoor.

Other agenda items include confirming the minutes from the last General Council Meeting held on July 6, 2024, reviewing the progress on decisions made during that meeting, the Secretary General’s report on POA activities for 2024, approval of the POA’s audited accounts for the 2023–2024 financial year, approval of budget estimates for the 2025–2026 financial year, appointment of auditors for 2024–2025 and conducting the OCA audit for 2025.

Furthermore, discussions will cover Pakistan’s participation in the ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin from February 7-14, 2025, as well as the affiliation status of netball, judo, and ju-jitsu sports federations with the POA.