Pakistan will host the 14th edition of the South Asian Games from April 3 to 11 next year with Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar selected as the host cities.
The regional multi-sport event will take place after a delay of six years due to COVID-19.
The South Asia Olympic Council approved the dates and venues at its Executive Committee meeting in Islamabad on Sunday. The meeting was chaired by Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Arif Saeed, who also heads the South Asian body.
The Games were originally scheduled to take place in 2021 but were postponed several times for different reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was earlier planned for March next year before the dates were pushed back by a month to April.
Pakistan will host the South Asian Games for the first time since 2004, when Islamabad staged the regional event. The country will therefore return as host after a gap of 23 years.
Representatives from Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka attended the SAOC meeting in person. India’s representative joined the meeting through video conference. Officials also visited proposed sporting venues in Islamabad after the meeting as part of preparations for the Games.
India’s participation, however, remains uncertain.
A POA official said India’s representative took part in the meeting and supported the dates, which was seen as a positive sign. However, the official also admitted that there has been no confirmation that India will send a team to Pakistan.
The uncertainty comes against the backdrop of the political relations between India and Pakistan. An official who attended the SAOC meeting said India’s representative did not confirm the country’s participation at any point.
The official also pointed to India’s absence from a recent volleyball tournament held in Islamabad as another indication that India’s participation in the South Asian Games cannot be taken for granted.
In New Delhi, an official source said the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) would follow the Government of India’s policy on participation in Pakistan. No further details were given.
The South Asian Games will feature 28 sports and 346 medal events. More than 3,200 athletes are expected to take part, while a large number of technical officials will also travel for the event.
Pakistan is preparing for around 4,000 athletes and other foreign visitors during the Games.
The SAOC’s decision has now given Pakistan a clear timeline to complete preparations across the three host cities. Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar will share hosting duties, with officials expected to continue inspecting and preparing venues in the months ahead.