33rd National Games: Shah may invite India for token participation

KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association’s President Syed Aqil Shah on Wednesday revealed that he plans to invite India and a few other neighboring nations to send their contingents for token participation in the 33rd National Games which his province is going to host in Peshawar later this year.

“I want to also invite Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan and even India for token participation. It will be my duty to invite India but giving visas to its contingent will be the responsibility of the government,” Aqil Shah told ‘The News’ in an interview from Peshawar.

Shah was quick to add that Gilgit Baltistan would also be given an opportunity to ensure its token participation. Shah, however, made it clear that those, who would ensure their token participation, will be awarded medals but they will not be part of the tabulation of the event.

The 33rd National Games, which Quetta was supposed to host last month, were shifted to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recently. Balochistan was instead given the 34th National Games. Shah said the actual schedule of the Games was yet to be finalised.

“The dates have not yet been finalised. Personally, it is my desire to hold the Games at the end of September. By doing so we would be able to give at least two months to Pakistan’s contingent to prepare for the 13th South Asian Games which Nepal will host in Kathmandu and Pokhara from December 1-10,” said Shah, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Sports Commission.

Shah also conceded that KP had the capability to host such major events in befitting way. “KP has the best available infrastructure in the country after the Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad,” Shah claimed.

To a query, he said for ensuring smooth conduction of the Games, his priority will be to host most of the events in Peshawar. However, he was quick to add that the competition of badminton and one more discipline will be organised at the Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex in Charsadda and archery and baseball could be organised in Mardan.

“We have facilities in other cities as well but if we opt for them then it will create an administrative problem for us,” Shah said. He also said that they had at their disposal facilities of Pakistan Air Force (PAF), especially for golf, tennis and squash events.

“I have requested the PAF and they have agreed to lend their facilities,” Shah said. Shah informed that Rs 150million will be required for conducting the competitions.

When asked how he agreed to host the 33rd National Games, Shah said that he had held a meeting with the KP Chief Minister at a time when it looked evident that Quetta was facing issues in hosting the competitions.

“I told the CM that the Games are being shifted from Quetta and the other provinces are ready to host it. ‘How about we bring the event to KP?’ to which the CM replied ‘why not’ and that is why we offered to host it,” Shah said.

“We have never opposed Balochistan and had even offered them skilled manpower for organising the spectacle,” Shah said. He also revealed that the National Games torch will start its journey here from Mazar-e-Quaid and will be taken to Torkham, bordering Afghanistan, and from there it will be brought to the actual venue of the Games in Peshawar.

He said the Prime Minister will be invited to the opening ceremony and the President will be invited for the closing. Shah said every effort will be made to host the vital spectacle in a befitting way. Following the merger of tribal belt in KP, a joint contingent of both areas will be fielded in the National Games.

Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan and South Waziristan are now the districts of the tribal belt and their associations in every sports discipline will be merged with the respective associations affiliated with the KP Olympic Association. Shah acknowledged that FATA had great potential in sports, adding, he was sure that 30 per cent of its players would become part of the KP contingent purely on merit.