Islamabad to host three events of 33rd National Games

KARACHI: Besides the cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad will also host some events of the 33rd National Games slated to be held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from October 26 to November 1.

Other than Peshawar, which will host majority of the events, Islamabad will host swimming, handball and rowing, Abbottabad will host taekwondo and gymnastics, Mardan will host baseball and archery, while Charsadda will host badminton. According to organisers, the Games logo was unveiled last Tuesday at Peshawar. The ceremony was attended by top level people of the KP government.

Organisers say various committees are being formed and the preparation is being made vigorously. Athletes from the four provinces, AJK, Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan, Army, WAPDA, Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Navy, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Police and Railways will be showcasing their talent in the biennial spectacle.

The Games were originally supposed to be hosted by Balochistan in Quetta but were shifted to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as Quetta was unable to make preparations despite having got the Games in 2012. However, Quetta has been told that it could host the 34th National Games sometime in 2020.