SA Games steering committee meets today to finalise budget

ISLAMABAD: The 14th South Asian Games Steering Committee that meets in Islamabad Friday is to recommend a running budget to provide boarding and lodging facilities to over 5000 athletes and officials expected to turn up for the extravaganza scheduled for March 2023.

The meeting that will be chaired by Asad Umar, Minister for Planning and Development is expected to forward the expected running expenditures for the Council of Common Interest (CCI)’s approval. Since sports now are a devolved subject, the expected expenditures would be forwarded for CCI approval.

“This is the second meeting of the Steering Committee within two weeks. Since we are already late for the initial preparation of the Games, the second meeting of the Committee has been convened within two weeks to look into the overall expenditures and forward these for CCI approval,” a concerned official when contacted said.

He said that the Ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) was working on the possible accommodation for the contingent members who would be accommodated in and around the capital city that is expected to host the majority of events during the games.

“During the past few weeks we have looked into the available places/hotels for players and coaches to stay in Islamabad. On the same lines we also worked on athletes and officials staying in Lahore. We have got tentative expenditures and the cost of boarding and lodging. Providing hotel facilities is not alone, we are also working on making Games Secretariat functioning in Islamabad and finalizing details of expenditures of shuttle services to be provided to the visiting teams and officials. Expenditure to provide facilities to the media is also on cards,” he said.

During the inaugural meeting, the matters that were discussed included guarantee for entry of athletes on accreditation cards), free visa to high level dignitaries, iii) tax and custom duty exemptions for athletes on goods/equipment being brought by the athletes were discussed.

The meeting focused on the organizational aspects of the 14th South Asian Games. Different arrangements including logistics, security, venue selection, player training and hiring of foreign coaches came under discussion.

During the meeting it was also informed that venues and two optional games will be finalized by the organizing committee.

Amid all these preparations, discussions and meetings, no one has so far realized that it is the South Asian Games Olympic Committee that has the actual powers to decide on the events to be contested during the Games. Unless and until four participating countries back optional sports, these cannot not be included in the Games. For that however, the requirement of convening South Asian countries’ Olympic Association meetings is a must.