Balochistan sports secretary discusses National Games with POA officials

KARACHI: Balochistan Sports Secretary Imran Gichki on Tuesday discussed the 34th National Games with Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) during his visit to Olympic House Lahore.

Balochistan is expected to host the edition this year. The POA vice-president Shoukat Javed chaired the meeting. Also present were POA Secretary General Khalid Mehmood and treasurer Mohammad Shafiq.

A presentation was given to Imran on National Games history. Balochistan Secretary Sports was assured that POA will provide every support to Balochistan in organising the 34th National Games in Quetta this year.

Imran was told that a venue committee of POA will visit Quetta on the invitation of Balochistan government and BOA to oversee the preparation plan, availability of infrastructure and adequate competition equipment for holding the spectacle. The venue committee after inspection will present its report to POA and a final date for holding Games in Quetta in 2021 will be decided and announced keeping in view the international sporting calendar, the POA informed Imran.

The matter of parallel sports associations was also discussed. POA will constitute a committee to address these issues in the best interest of promotion of sports and to provide a better playing field to athletes.

Gichki was informed that POA is also organising the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) programme and a QBR Team of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will visit Pakistan this year for the purpose. Imran offered POA to organise the Queen’s Baton Relay Event in Gwadar for which Balochistan will provide all support.

It was decided that after meetings with the QBR Team and Pakistan Naval Sports Directorate which are scheduled in January a coordination plan will be shared with the government of Balochistan.

Shoukat expressed deep gratitude to Balochistan CM Jam Mir Kamal Khan Alyani on behalf of POA chief Lt Gen (R) Syed Arif Hasan for his efforts for the development and promotion of sports in Balochistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that Balochistan was supposed to host the 33rd National Games in 2019. However, due to various reasons it failed to conduct the biennial spectacle. The edition was then shifted to Peshawar where Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government conducted it in grand way in November 2019.

However, Balochistan was told that it could organise the 34th National Games when it is ready.