National Games deferred till April next year

KARACHI: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Monday officially announced that the 33rd National Games, which were slated to held at Quetta from November 18-26, have been postponed till April next year.

“It is for the information of all concerned that based on the request of the government of Balochistan, non-preparation of the sports venues and severe weather conditions in November in Quetta the 33rd National Games have been postponed,” POA said in a press release on Monday. “The event will be held from April 21 to 29. This is decided in consultation with all stake holders,” it added.

A POA delegation had met organisers in Quetta on Sunday and also inspected various venues to be used for the biennial spectacle which last time had been held in 2012 in Lahore.

The POA’s sports commission discussed the matter in a meeting at the Olympic House on Monday. It recommended to the POA general council that because of various factors the Games should be postponed. And the general council supported this.

Sports commission is a vital constituent of the NOC and can decide about sports matters of the country.The Games had been originally scheduled in October but had been postponed last month due to financial issue.

Last year, too, the extravaganza had been postponed following a terrorist attack at the civil hospital in Quetta in which a large number of lawyers had been killed. Insiders said that the general council also unanimously decided that the ten-year ban on hockey Olympian Rana Mujahid should remain intact. Rana had been banned by the POA in 2013 for being part of the parallel POA’s interim committee.