South Asian Games might be rescheduled or shifted

KARACHI: The 13th South Asian Games may either be shifted or rescheduled if the legal dispute of the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC) is not resolved in near future.

A news portal of Nepal “my Repubica” has reported that the Supreme Court last Tuesday issued an interim order, restraining the Nepal Olympic Committee from holding its elections scheduled for Friday (today).

The portal said that Justice Tanka Bahadur Moktan issued the interim order while hearing a petition filed by Kamal Bahadur Chitrakar, a member of the Olympic committee led by Rukma Shamsher.

Chitrakar had moved the apex court last Sunday challenging the authority of the committee led by Jeevanram Shrestha claiming that that committee was illegal, the web portal said. The SC has summoned the Shrestha-led committee and ordered it not to conduct election until the case is decided.

The news portal said that with the court’s stay order the election of the internationally-recognised Olympic committee became uncertain. The two parallel committees have existed for the last one decade.

The next hearing takes place on September 8 (Sunday). If the dispute is not resolved immediately, Nepal may lose the opportunity to host South Asian Games which are slated to be held in Kathmandu and Pokhara from December 1-10.

In that case a meeting of South Asian Olympic Council might be convened to decide either rescheduling or shifting the biennial spectacle. The Games have already been postponed several times. The other nations of the region are unlikely to allow any further postponement.

If such a situation arises Pakistan may be the first option. The nation has already been allotted the 14th edition of the South Asian Games. But for that the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) will need a written guarantee from the Ministry of IPC as it is necessary if a nation goes for hosting the Games. Sources said Sri Lankan authorities had shown willingness to host SAG any time.