Pakistan Olympic chief to meet PM Shehbaz: Hosting of 14th South Asian Games on top of agenda

In a significant development, the newly-elected Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Arif Saeed is all set to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today, with the 14th South Asian Games topping the agenda.

This highly-anticipated meeting comes as Pakistan gears up to host the prestigious multi-sport event later this year, marking a major milestone in the country's sporting calendar.

“Yes, Arif is in Islamabad and he is going to meet the premier today to discuss with him the South Asian Games,” the source said.

This will be the first meeting of the POA’s newly-elected chief with the top state dignitary. Arif on December 30 was elected unopposed as the POA’s 13th president.

He replaced Mohammad Abid Qadri Gilani who served as the POA’s interim chief for one year following the surprise resignation from Lt General (retd) Syed Arif Hasan who quit the seat in the last days of 2023 after serving at the post for 20 years.

Arif Saeed, who is also the owner of Servis Group Limited, is expected to handle the South Asian Games affairs quite smoothly. He has deep-rooted relations with the PML (N) and he was also a consensus candidate for the POA’s presidency from both the state and the Olympic family.

Allotted to Pakistan in 2019 during the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal, the country has so far failed to organize the spectacle due to one reason or the other.

Hosting rights in danger

It would be important to go for the event sometimes this year as any further laxity may cost Pakistan the hosting rights.

The South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) wanted to send its delegation to Pakistan this month in order to see the arrangements for the Games and to decide on the final time-frame of the event which Pakistan will be going to host for the third time since last hosting it in 1989 and 2004.

Pakistan have already decided that it will be going to host the Games in Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad. The first two cities will host most of the events while Faisalabad will host only handball.

If things go in the right direction, then this year will go very well as Pakistan will be hosting many events.

The country is set to host the ICC Champions Trophy in February-March and in April Pakistan is also going to host the Asian Taekwondo Championship in Islamabad. So, hosting the South Asian Games will be a huge step of the nation towards the end of the year.

Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) also plans to hold the National Games in Karachi just before the South Asian Games.

Arif will also need to discuss with the state that Pakistan will need a solid preparatory plan for its contingent for the South Asian Games in order to ensure that the athletes finish in the top two.

This will need definitely huge money as foreign coaches and foreign training tours will be direly needed. India always reigns supreme in the South Asian Games. However, in the last few editions Pakistan has faced decline in its performance.

In the last South Asian Games Pakistan had finished fourth. India had topped the race and they were followed by hosts Nepal and Sri Lanka.