Gymnasium in Mardan can host South Asian Games events: Aqil

KARACHI: Senior vice-president of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Syed Aqil Shah has claimed that they have the best gymnasium of South Asia in Mardan where a handful of events of the 14th South Asian Games could be organised.

“We have a state-of-the-art gymnasium in Mardan which is the best in South Asia and here we can organise a few events of the 14th South Asian Games which Pakistan is going to host in 2021-2022,” Shah told ‘The News’.

Shah is the most experienced sports organiser, having conducted several major national events in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the years.

The National Games held last year in Peshawar have been touted as the best ever spectacle in the history of the biennial spectacle.

“Very soon I am meeting with the KP Chief Minister and InshaAllah a well-facilitated hostel will also be built there which will add to the value of that gymnasium,” Shah said.

The gymnasium is situated on the premises of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Mardan.

The handball event of the 33rd National Games was organised in that gymnasium.

Pakistan Handball Federation (PHF) president Mohammad Shafiq also praised the facility. “Yes, we organised our event during the National Games there and it is a massive hall,” Shafiq said.

As Pakistan is going to feature in the 6th Asian Beach Games in China in November-December, KP is also capable of hosting the National Beach Games as it has a huge area spreading over several acres near Swabi which is filled with fine sand. A few years ago Karachi was given the inaugural National Beach Games but no progress could be made in that direction because of the lethargic approach of Sindh government despite repeated calls from the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA).