SAOC delegation to inspect Pakistan's preparations for 14th South Asian Games

A delegation of the South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) is expected to visit Pakistan in the last week of February to inspect venues and arrangements for the 14th South Asian Games which the nation will most probably host in the last quarter of this year.

“Yes, the things are moving on. It is highly likely that the SAOC delegation will visit in the last week of next month,” a well-placed source told Nukta.

“We have been receiving individual responses from the SAOC members and hopefully the visit will be made soon,” the source added.

The SAOC was expected to visit Pakistan last year but the tour could not be made possible due to various reasons which includes the electoral matters of a few National Olympic Committees (NOCs).

At a time when former President Lt General (retd) Syed Arif Hasan and his successor Mohammad Abid Qadri Gilani were in power, the Games’ fate was not that much clear as state was not taking much interest in the biennial event.

However, when industrialist Arif Saeed became the POA’s supremo recently the things started moving towards the right direction. He has close connections with the government and already some positive steps towards hosting the Games have been taken.

On the advice of the state, national federations have also submitted their budgetary details with the POA for onward sharing with the government.

A few months ago, federal government had held extensive meeting with the Punjab government sports officials and several major issues relating to the Games had been discussed. Even 25 disciplines and venues had also been tentatively finalized in the process. Two more disciplines will be added to the list on the choice of Pakistan as a host country.

Allotted in 2019 during the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal, Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) tried its best to convince the state to go for hosting the Games but no breakthrough could be made due to Covid-19, political and economic situation of the country. The Games had to be postponed several times.

The Games will be conducted mainly at Lahore and Islamabad while Faisalabad will host handball event.

Lahore will act as Games Secretariate. This is the third time that Pakistan will be hosting the Games since it lasted conducted the biennial spectacle in 1989 and 2004. In 1989 POA’s president was Syed Wajid Ali Shah and in 2004 Lt General (retd) Arif Hasan was leading the POA.

National Games

In order to prepare the athletes rightly and get a proper stuff for the Games, National Games are also being planned to be conducted in the middle of May in Karachi.

A highly responsible source told Nukta that National Games will be ensured at all cost.

“We are committed to conduct the National Games in the middle of May in Karachi. Sindh government is expected to release the funds for that next month and then we will start working on that,” the source said.

“Departments are ready to hold camps for the event and provinces will also prepare accordingly. In Karachi weather in May will be hot and we will have to plan accordingly,” the source said.

This will be after long 17 years that National Games will be conducted at Karachi. Last time Karachi had hosted the Games in 2007 when Qamar Mansoor was the Sindh Sports Minister.

Sindh also needs to purchase equipment for the purpose.

“Definitely we will need to purchase equipment worth Rs 50 million. This is part of the process and once you get equipment it will help the province to benefit of it for the years to come. Holding such Games for a province is too important as it also boosts its infrastructure which is part of the sustainable development,” the source said.

It will be interesting to see how much budget Sindh government will release for the Games. According to sources, Rs 500 million budget has been demanded by the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA).