KARACHI: Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) president Lt Gen (retd) Arif Hasan on Tuesday said Pakistan’s participation in the next year’s South Asian Games in India was subject to government’s permission and security clearance. Addressing a news conference here at the Karachi Press Club, Arif said Pakistan’s contingent for the Games would comprise 500 players and officials who would be featuring in around two dozen disciplines. The Games will have events of athletics, archery, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, football, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kho-kho, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu. The Games will be held in the Indian cities of Guwahati and Shillong from February 6-16. He said that in order to promote sports, the national federations and the relevant sports bodies would have to strengthen their relations. He said holding events in schools and colleges could provide new talent which could then be groomed for national duty. Arif revealed that Quetta would host the National Games this time. “In order to know about the security and other arrangements, I will be taking a delegation to Quetta next month,” the POA chief said. Responding to a question, Arif said that the POA had good relations with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and the government had already recognised his body. About the National Beach Games, Arif said that due to South Asian Games in India it had been decided to conduct the National Beach Games in March.
