South Asian Games in Pakistan to Proceed as Scheduled, Says NOC President

Kathmandu. Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) Chairman Jeevanram Shrestha has urged not to doubt the 14th South Asian Games (SAG) scheduled in Pakistan to be held on time.

Last Sunday, the Executive Committee meeting of the South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) held in Islamabad, Pakistan decided to organize the 14th SAG from April 3 to April 11.

In the background of discussions that the competition would not be held due to the political conflict between India and Pakistan, the NOC clarified at a press conference not to have any doubts. NOC Chairman Shrestha claimed that the competition would be held on time due to the readiness, activeness, and well-equipped infrastructure of the Pakistani government. He expressed confidence that India would also participate in the competition. He also said that the Pakistani government is paying special attention to security.

It has been clarified that 28 sports have been determined for the competition and there will be no increase or decrease in that number. Shrestha said that the number of players sent by Nepal was preliminary and the final determination would be made only in coordination with the government. He informed that it was discussed in the meeting that even small countries can host the SAG and it was decided to keep the SAG secretariat in Nepal.

NOC General Secretary Rajiv Shrestha, making the decisions public at the press conference, informed that the 14th SAG would be conducted in three Pakistani cities: Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar. Seven South Asian nations Pakistan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka will participate in the competition. It is estimated that a total of 3,172 players will compete for 346 gold and silver medals and 515 bronze medals. A preliminary list has been prepared with 532 players and 153 officials from Nepal participating.

The opening ceremony of the competition will be held in Islamabad. 15 games will be conducted in Islamabad, 10 in Lahore, and 3 in Peshawar. Athletics, badminton, basketball, snooker, football, kabaddi, karate, rowing, squash, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting, wushu, and shooting will be held in Islamabad. Swimming, hockey, boxing, cricket, fencing, golf, handball, rugby, taekwondo, and wrestling will be held in Lahore. Archery, volleyball, and judo competitions will be held in Peshawar. NOC has stated that women will not compete in billiards, hockey, rugby, and beach volleyball.

From Nepal, NOC Chairman Shrestha, Vice-Chairman Chaturanan Raj Vaidya, and National Sports Council (NSC) Executive Member Sika Suwal Shrestha participated in the SAOC meeting. Representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka participated in person, while India's representative participated virtually. The meeting reviewed the preparations made by Pakistan, venues, accommodation, transportation, sports directives, and pre-event publicity activities. When the 13th SAG was completed in Nepal in 2019, Pakistan received the flag, but the competition has been postponed several times.

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