SAOC team visits sports complex

ISLAMABAD: South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) members visited Pakistan Sports Complex and venues where 14th edition of the Games will be organized in January 2026.

SAOC President Arif Saeed, Director General Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Yasir Peerzada and Secretary SAOC Mohammad Khalid Mehmood accompanied the delegation. The members visited different facilities at the complex where some of the key sports events will take place during the Games.

The 14th edition of the Games will be held from 23rd to 31st January 2026 in Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad. President SAOC and National Olympic Committee (NOC) Pakistan, called for collective commitment of South Asian NOCs to fostering regional sports development and strengthening cooperation through sports. Earlier, on Tuesday the discussions highlighted how the region’s athletes, Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra, brought South Asia into the global spotlight at Paris 2024 by winning medals in javelin throw — an achievement that not only inspired the youth of the subcontinent but also underscored the power of sports in promoting peace, unity, and shared aspirations across borders.

The meeting was attended by representatives from NOCs Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan: NOC Bangladesh: Mr. Ashiqur Rahman Miku and Mr. Siraj Uddin Md Alamgir, NOC Bhutan: Mr. Nim Dorji, NOC India: Ms. Nazima Khan (joined remotely), NOC Maldives: Thamooh Ahmed Saeed and Mr. Ahmed Munthaqim, NOC Nepal: Mr. Jeevan Ram Shrestha, NOC Sri Lanka: Mr. Surendaran Subramaniam, Mr. Edirimuni Niluka Rushan Perera Karunaratne and Mr. Ilanga Pathiratnalage Wijeratne, NOC Pakistan: Mr. Arif Saeed, Ms. Fatima Lakhani and Mr. Muhammad Khalid Mahmood.