PSB Schedules Meetings to Finalise South Asian Games Plans
The Pakistan Sports Board will hold a series of discipline-wise coordination meetings from November 16 to 20 to finalise preparations for the 14th South Asian Games.
The Games are scheduled to be held from April 3 to 11 in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar. Around 6,000 athletes and officials are expected to take part in 28 sports disciplines.
What the South Asian Games meetings will cover
The meetings will take place daily from 1pm at the Games Secretariat in Islamabad, chaired by the Director of Games and Events. A notice issued on November 13 by Manager Coordination Faisal Mehmood cancels a previous directive issued on November 12.
Federations will attend over five days, starting Monday, November 16, with archery, athletics, boxing, rowing and tennis, then football, kabaddi, squash, triathlon and basketball on Tuesday, snooker, hockey, judo, taekwondo, golf and shooting on Wednesday, and the remaining 12 disciplines on Thursday and Friday.
The board has made it mandatory for the president and secretary general of each concerned federation to attend, noting that the secretary general’s presence is compulsory if the president is unavailable.
Federations must provide complete equipment lists, with estimated costs, origins and international certifications, plus foreign coach requirements and salaries, country-wise estimates of athletes and officials, and plans for training camps and pre-Games international exposure.
The notification was addressed to PSB Director General Yawar Hussain and Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani to ensure the participation of all relevant sports bodies.
A Games 22 years in the making
Pakistan was awarded the hosting rights seven years ago during the South Asian Games in Nepal. The country could not organise the event as scheduled due to various issues. Now, with those issues apparently settled, Pakistan is preparing to host the competition after a gap of 22 years.
Pakistan previously hosted the Games in 1989 and 2004, both at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad. This time the event spreads across three cities, with Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar sharing the competitions.
In August, the South Asian Olympic Council met in Islamabad to announce the dates, with National Olympic Committee representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka in attendance.
“The dates are the same, as we will start on April 3,” a senior official of the Pakistan Olympic Association told The Express Tribune. “We will also arrange another meeting with the SAOC so that they can be kept updated about the arrangements,” the official said.
Technical handbooks have also been prepared by the federations in coordination with the Pakistan Olympic Association. These details will be shared with the respective Asian federations.
Two clashes the organisers must manage
The Games face two scheduling clashes. The Pakistan Super League will also be taking place around the same time, and arrangements will need to be made to manage the overlapping events. “We will also see how we can manage our event during the PSL,” the POA official said.
The second clash is with the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh from March 28 to April 8, where the same nations will also compete. That event was postponed from December 11 to 21.
Most of the country’s leading athletes are eagerly looking forward to the Games, hoping to perform in front of their home crowd. Pakistan’s recent sporting results give them reason to hope, from the U19 Asia Cup final to the polo World Cup qualifier win over India and the Asian team squash championship.
The meetings that start on Monday are the next step. Equipment lists, coaching plans and training camps are the core of hosting a Games, and the board wants them settled five months before the opening ceremony.
Frequently asked questions
When will the South Asian Games be held?
The 14th South Asian Games are scheduled for April 3 to 11 in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar, with 28 sports disciplines and around 6,000 athletes and officials.
What are the PSB meetings for?
The Pakistan Sports Board will hold discipline-wise coordination meetings from November 16 to 20, where federations must submit equipment lists, foreign coach requirements, contingent estimates and training camp plans.
When did Pakistan last host the Games?
Pakistan hosted the South Asian Games in 1989 and 2004, both at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad. The 2027 edition comes after a gap of 22 years.
Which countries will take part?
Athletes from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and hosts Pakistan are expected, with their National Olympic Committees already involved in the planning.
What clashes must the organisers manage?
The Games overlap with the Pakistan Super League season and with the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh, scheduled for March 28 to April 8.
