Meeting to finalise National Games on August 28

KARACHI: A crucial meeting of the secretaries of federations and other relevant bodies will be held in Quetta on August 28 to finalise matters relating to the 33rd National Games to be held in Quetta from October 7-14. “Balochistan government has convened federations’ secretaries meeting on August 28 which will also be attended by other stakeholders,” Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) secretary Khalid Mehmood told ‘The News’ on Tuesday.

“It will be the last meeting and take final decisions about the National Games. The members of the POA sports commission will also be there to put their heads together to finalise the things,” Khalid said.

Asked if the recent attack on a military truck in Balochistan had added to the security issues, Khalid said that security was an issue. “It’s really an issue and without the assistance of the military it would not be possible to hold National Games,” he said.

Meanwhile, an official of Balochistan Olympic Association (BOA) told ‘The News’ that he had told the military and Balochistan Sports Board authorities that unless they ensured water-tight security for athletes during the Games the provincial Olympic association would not go for the spectacle.

“You know it’s a serious issue and we will need top-level security for our players. Otherwise we would not be able to hold the Games,” the BOA official stressed.He said it would be known on Wednesday (today) when they would meet the military. “Tomorrow it will be confirmed when we will hold a meeting with the military and Balochistan Sports Board,” the official said.

The spectacle had been postponed last year following an attack at the Quetta’s civil hospital in which scores of top lawyers of Balochistan High Court Bar Association had been killed when they had gathered at the hospital to see their president who had been killed in a shooting incident.

The 2010 National Games had been conducted in Peshawar at a time when the provincial capital had been facing great security issues.The military had made top-level security arrangements to make the event possible which was at one time seemed very difficult to be conducted.The POA sports commission had already made crucial decisions about the competitions which would involve thousands of athletes in different sports disciplines.