Future of cricket at SAG still uncertain

KARACHI: It is not yet known whether cricket will be a part of the 12th South Asian Games which will be held in Guwahati and Shillong in India in November-December this year.
Cricket, in T20 form, made its debut in the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka in 2010. The participating nations want cricket to be part of the eight-nation showpiece in India. But according to Indian media, the ball is in the court of India’s cricket governing body, BCCI.
The reports said the BCCI has already been sent a proposal to send its team.
India had not sent its team to Dhaka for cricket’s debut in the region’s major extravaganza, a report said.
The Indian sports ministry has long been considering the inclusion of cricket in SAG.
The Indian sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal is keen to develop sports infrastructure in his home state of Assam and is planning to hold a T20 tournament during the SAG.
It is pertinent to mention here that it is the prerogative of the host country to include any discipline in the spectacle.
‘The News’ has also learnt that the organisers have opted to exclude women’s judo competitions.
The real picture of the competitions will become clear on July 8 when a high-level meeting of the participating nations is held in New Delhi which will not only decide the actual dates of the slots but also what disciplines will be part of the South Asian Games.
Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Lt Gen Arif Hasan and secretary Khalid Mehmood are expected to be part of the meeting. But they are yet to get Indian visas.