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Sindh’s National Games contingent to be decided this month

By Alam Zeb Safi
June 19, 2019

KARACHI: Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) plans to convene its executive committee meeting this month in order to finalise the province’s contingent for the 33rd National Games.

“In a few days, we are going to convene our executive committee meeting as we have to finalise the contingent,” SOA secretary Ahmed Ali Rajput told ‘The News’ here on Tuesday. Rajput attended the Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) Sports Commission and federations meetings in Lahore on June 14 and 15 in which National Games matters were discussed.

National Games are going to be hosted by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from October 26 to November 1. In the biennial spectacle, men will compete in 31 and women in 21 disciplines. The fate of football, judo and cycling is yet to be decided. Each province can field a 400-member contingent. Rajput said they would decide about their contingent after weighing different options and medals prospects, especially in the team events.

“In team events we will see in which sports we can compete better. If in any team event we finish eighth or lower then there is no benefit of fielding our teams,” Rajput said. However, he was quick to add that in individual events they could reduce the strength but would not totally omit any such discipline as there was always a medal chance in those sports.

Rajput said that effort would be made to dispose of all matters pertaining to the Games in June. “We will also prepare a budget proposal for the government’s approval. We have to hold camps and conduct trials and for such things we need money. We need equipment, track suits and transport facilities. We will submit complete details with the provincial government,” Rajput said.

He said Sindh’s athletes would need at least a couple of months training. “It would be of great importance to hold a couple of months training for National Games,” Rajput said. About Sindh’s prospects in National Games, Rajput said that Army and WAPDA would, as usual, grab top two positions. “Being hosts and now a big province after the induction of the tribal belt KP has a chance to finish third overall,” he explained.

Punjab would come next and then it would be Sindh’s turn, said Rajput. He was confident that Sindh would finish above Balochistan on medals table. KP has emerged as a real force because its strength will be reinforced by the talent of the tribal belt. Being hosts KP will be in a position to field more athletes as compared to the rest of the provinces.

In the last Inter-Provincial Games last year Sindh had claimed third position following overall winners KP and runners-up Punjab. Rajput said that Sindh would also host the launching of torch-relay. “It would be a great honour for us to host the launching of torch-relay which will start from Mazaar-e-Quaid and will be passed through Quetta, various cities of Punjab, Bab-e-Khyber before being brought to Peshawar.

National Games are being held after six years. Last time the Games were held in 2012 at Lahore. Balochistan was supposed to host the spectacle but due to various reasons the event was postponed several times. It was in April this year that the POA decided to shift the Games to KP. However Balochistan was told that it could go for hosting the 34th National Games when they would complete preparations next year.