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Friday March 29, 2024

POA likely to announce National Games postponement today

By Alam Zeb Safi
October 16, 2017

KARACHI: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) is expected to officially announce the postponement of the 33rd National Games after its sports commission and general body meetings which would be held at Lahore on Monday (today).

A highly reliable source told ‘The News’ on Sunday that the Games have been postponed as Balochistan has failed to make preparations for the biennial spectacle, which was slated to be staged at Quetta from November 18 to 26.

The Games had been scheduled to be held in October but had been postponed last month because of funding and preparation issues. A four-member delegation of the POA, comprising its president Lt Gen (retd) Arif Hasan, vice-presidents Chaudhry Yaqoob, Syed Aqil Shah and POA’s secretary Khalid Mehmood, on Sunday met Balochistan sports minister, representative of military and Balochistan Olympic Association (BOA) in Quetta to discuss the matter.

The delegation also inspected the venues and sources said that it was not satisfied with the preparations. A source said that the POA feels that due to lack of proper preparations of the venues and other important matters holding of the Games in November would be a “high risk”.

The sources said that the Games would now be organised in Quetta in April after the Commonwealth Games which are slated to be held in Gold Coast in Australia from April 4-15. The matter would be put before the POA’s sports commission on Monday, they said. The sports commission’s recommendations would be presented before the general body today.

Last year, too, the Games had to be postponed following a terrorist attack at the Quetta’s civil hospital in which top personalities of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association had been killed. They had gathered at the hospital following the death of their bar’s president in a separate shooting.

‘The News’ also learnt that all those venues which are outside the cantonment area are not prepared. The government has already released Rs300 million for the purpose. A source said that there was undoubtedly support from the military, but it would be impossible for the host province to meet all the requirements of the Games in a single month.

The source said that the organisers had claimed that the venues would be ready by November 10, but it was practically not possible.The sources said the intensity of the approaching winter and examinations would also hinder the competitions.

Army, the undisputed champions of National Games for many years, had not featured in the 2012 edition in Lahore. In 2013 the government had staged National Games under the umbrella of a parallel POA in Islamabad.

This correspondent also learnt that Army and WAPDA had sent to Quetta their athletes in some disciplines in order to prepare for the Games.The organisers have also not taken on board the provincial associations.

A sum of Rs50 million has been kept for opening and closing ceremonies; Rs51 million for musical nights, sounds, SMDs and stage; Rs80m for procurement of sports items for players, officials, technical officials and referees.

The rest of the amount has been kept for meeting the other expenses of the Games. This would be the first time in the history of the biennial event that such a huge fund would be spent.