Torch relay of National Games set for small cruise show

KARACHI: The torch relay for the 35th National Games will be held on November 14, starting from Mazar-e-Quaid and concluding at Marine Club, where the torch will also travel in Arabian sea on a small cruise ship before being handed over to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), The News has learnt.

The torch relay handover ceremony is regarded as one of the most colorful events marking the start of preparations for the 35th National Games, scheduled to take place in Karachi from December 6 to 13, 2025.

According to the sources, arrangements for the National Games are in full swing. A high-level meeting involving senior officials, representatives of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), and members of the organizing committee will be held on Monday to finalize details.

A number of Olympians and international-level athletes from various disciplines will take part in the torch relay, on November 14, which will begin from Mazar-e-Quaid and pass through Numaish, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Teen Talwar, Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shrine, Khayaban-e-Ittehad, Creek Club, and finally to the Marine Club.

Upon reaching Marine Club, the torch will be shifted on a small Cruise Ship which will travel couple of kilometers in the Arabian Sea before handed over to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for its journey across the country.

Meanwhile, development and upgradation work at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Sports Complex swimming pool on Kashmir Road has commenced. The facility is being upgraded and maintained round-the-clock.

With less than a month remaining for the National Games, the organizing committee is giving final touches to arrangements.

Officials said the names of the heads and members of committees responsible for supervising competitions across multiple disciplines will be announced next week.

A record number of approximately 10,000 male and female athletes and officials are expected to participate in the National Games. Teams from Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan will take part, along with departmental contingents representing the Army, Air Force, Navy, WAPDA, Railways, Police, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

This year’s event promises to be the largest ever, with participation from four provinces, Jammu & Kashmir, Islamabad, three services teams, and four departments. Over 6,000 athletes, 2,800 team officials, and 1,100 technical officials are expected to take part, bringing the total strength close to 10,000 participants.

The Games will feature 32 male and 29 female disciplines, including 25 Olympic sports and seven non-Olympic ones. Among the men’s events are archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, football, gymnastics, hockey, judo, karate, rugby, swimming, and squash, while the women’s contests include sports such as fencing, table tennis, volleyball, taekwondo, and weightlifting.