Sindh government to host National Games in early 2025

KARACHI: The Sindh Government has decided to host the National Games at the end of January or the beginning of February next year. An important meeting chaired by the Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar, was held regarding the organisation of the National Games in Sindh. The meeting was attended by Secretary Sports Jalaluddin Maher, Secretary Sindh Olympics Ahmed Ali Rajput, Muhammad Asghar Baloch and Sheikh Shakeel.

During the meeting, the provincial minister was briefed in detail by the Secretary Sports and other officials about the arrangements for hosting the National Games. Minister Sardar Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar stated that the Sindh government is making every effort to host the National Games in Karachi at the end of January or the beginning of February.

The minister directed the Department of Sports to establish committees for venues, transportation, management, and selection related to the National Games. He also mentioned that he would discuss the grant for organising the games with the Chief Minister.

Many National Games contests to be held outside National Coaching CentreEvents of a number of sports disciplines in the 35th National Games are to be held outside the National Coaching Centre, The News has learnt.

The preparation for 35th National Games in Karachi is going on with slow pace although only a few months are left. This time it has been proposed that the competitions of a number of disciplines be organised on newly developed sports infrastructures in Karachi where facilities available are better than those at National Coaching Centre. It is pertinent to note that during the last few years federal government and Sindh government developed a number of stadiums and sports complexes.

Sources said that as the tartan track of National Coaching Centre is 27 years old, it would be better that this time the athletics competitions be organized at NED University’s newly laid tartan track. Sources said NED has wonderful sports infrastructure. It is being considered that contests of baseball, karate, and wrestling be organised at NED University.

Sources further said that football competitions would be held at KPT Football Stadium, volleyball at KPT sports complex, badminton and tug of war at Karachi University (KU), bodybuilding at Bahria auditorium Karsaz, archery and basketball at Dow University, boxing at People’s Stadium. Table Tennis event would be held at Islamia Club in Soldier Bazaar. Tennis competitions may be organised at the tennis courts of Naya Nazimabad, kabaddi at Sindh Sports Board in Nazimabad, weightlifting at KMC sports complex at Kashmir Road, taekwondo at Scout Headquarters in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.