KARACHI: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Sunday shifted the 33rd National Games from Quetta to Khyber Paktunkhwa after taking the nod from its general body.
The POA ExCo took this decision in its meeting on Saturday and the general council ratified the decision on Sunday at Lahore. The KP Olympic Association's President Syed Aqil Shah had offered last month during an interview with this correspondent that if Quetta was unable to host the 33rd edition of the National Games then KP was ready to host it in October. Quetta was told that it could go for hosting the 34th National Games next year if it was ready.
All aspects of holding the 33rd National Games allotted to Balochistan Olympic Association were discussed in depth, the POA said after its general council meeting in Lahore. These Games had been postponed a number of times during the past few years. Because of certain logistical and administrative constraints in Balochistan it was felt by the house that the Games could not be conducted in Quetta this year.
"Holding of these Games this year is absolutely imperative to enable the federations to be able to select their teams for the 13th South Asian Games to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in December. It was, therefore, decided by the house that the National Games be shifted to KP in October," the POA said.
The POA added that in order to ensure that Balochistan did not lose its chance to hold the National Games it had been told to inform POA the moment it was ready in all aspects and the 34th National Games would automatically be held by it next year.
The POA said the decision of the house was accepted by Balochistan Olympic Association (BOA) and Secretary Sports Balochistan Ahmed Raza.
This correspondent learnt that Balochistan has not prepared infrastructure and it has not even laid a tartan track at the Ayub Stadium, Quetta, which will take at least six months.
The POA also informed the house that the 13th South Asian Games would be held in Nepal from December 1-10. Pakistan will feature in 27 disciplines. "The 13th South Asian Games can bring the youth of the neighbouring countries close for harmony and peace through sports. The house urged the government of Pakistan to support the preparation and participation of a comprehensive contingent for these Games," the POA said.
KP Olympic Association has taken its chief minister into confidence and it is expected that appropriate schedule will be announced which will help pick a solid contingent for the South Asian Games.
Other unanimous decisions taken in the meeting were elections of 16 individual members and ratification of the proposed POA Election Commission and election appellate tribunal.
The unanimously elected individual members are: Jahangir Khan, Salahuddin Siddiqui, Naveed Alam, Hafiz Salman Butt, Abid Qadri, Ihtesham-Ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmad Tabassum, Fatima Lakhani, Veena Salman Masud, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Andleeb Sandhu, Sumera Sattar, Shamim Akhtar, Ambreen Iftikhar Malik, Nargis Rahimtoola and Shagufta Malik.
Iftikhar and Shagufta are the new entrants, it was learnt.
The Election Commission of POA will be headed by former justice Peshawar High Court Qazi Ehsan Ullah Qureshi. Former hockey Olympian Manzoor-Ul-Hassan, former secretary Army Sports Directorate Lt Col (retd) Khalid Hussain, former vice-president Pakistan Railways Sports Board Saeed Iqbal Khan and POA legal advisor Ali Raza are the members. Former vice-president Pakistan Gymnastics Federation (PGF) Pervaiz Ahmad will be the ex-officio member as per rule-2 of the election rules of POA.
The election appellate tribunal will be headed by former advocate general Punjab Hanif Khatana. Former hockey Olympian and former secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Col (retd) Mudassar Asghar (member) and and Ali Raza (member, secretary) are the others in the tribunal.
The merger of Fata Olympic Association into KP Olympic Association has been formally approved following the 25th amendment to the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This correspondent learnt that in the coming National Games FATA and KP would field single teams in each discipline under one flag.
