Athletes appeal to Bilawal to hold 18th Sindh Games

KARACHI: The failure of the authorities to hold the 18th Sindh Games, due for last three years, has made athletes of various disciplines suffer as these games are their biggest opportunity to show their skills to gain attention at national level.

A group of Sindh athletes told 'The News' the provincial sports ministry and Sindh Sports Board were always lethargic.

They said that they were using COVID 19 as an excuse for not organising the Sindh Games because all sporting activities were going on across the country and internationally.

The Sindh players of various discipline recalled that when 17th Sindh Games was held in 2018, it was also organised after five years delay although there had been no COVID 19 at that time.

The athletes said that in the last few years the province had got wonderful stadiums, gymnasiums, indoor sports complexes, football grounds, athletics tracks, hockey turfs in a number of cities but as far as the competitions were concerned the authorities had been less energetic.

"What is the benefit of these sports complexes, gymnasiums, tartan tracks and astro turfs when athletes cannot utilise these facilities," said an athlete. "The officials are just using the excuse of COVID 19 for not organising the Sindh Games," he added.

The athletes appealed to PPP leadership, especially Bilwal Bhutto, to take notice of the delay in Sindh Games.