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Tuesday March 19, 2024

New tartan-track planned for National Games’ athletics event

By Alam Zeb Safi
January 17, 2019

KARACHI: Aiming to hold a successful athletics event during the 33rd National Games the organisers plan to install a new tartan-track at the Ayub Stadium Quetta, the main venue of the biennial spectacle expected to be held in April this year.

But a well-placed source told ‘The News’ from Quetta on Wednesday that it was not likely that the track would be laid in time. “The work on the track would begin after February 15 and it is not likely that the work will be completed in time. If tartan-track was not laid in time then the athletics competitions will be held, as usual, at the Army Stadium Quetta,” the source said.

“We have also told the contractor that the blue track should be installed as we are now tired of using the red track,” the source revealed. Because of various reasons National Games faced postponement several times in the last few years. The last spectacle had been held in Lahore in 2012.

However a hope has been created as Balochistan’s sports secretary the other day told Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) general council in Lahore that the venues were ready.

The source seconded the sports secretary views, adding, 90 percent of the venues had been completed. He added that the equipment would also be imported. The source said that the POA would be sending a delegation after January 20 which would inspect the venues. “After inspection the dates will be finalised,” the source said. However he was quick to add that the budget had already been approved for holding the extravaganza. “There is no budget issue. The Chief Minister is willing to host the Games. The federal minister of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza also wants Balochistan to host the Games.

Once dates are made final we will prepare a budget document and will be presented to the Chief Minister and he will order its release,” the source said. Because of no facilities for water sports the events of rowing, canoeing and swimming would be held in Islamabad, the source said. The source said that April would be more ideal for the National Games.

In the past, too, security issues had forced organisers to postpone the Games several times but the source said that now the situation was much better. “Now it is peace in Balochistan and we should go for National Games in April,” the source said. In order to know about Pakistan’s international engagement in April the POA had told all federations in its general body meeting in Lahore that they should apprise the NOC about their team’s international engagements in April by January 16.