Islamabad, Pakistan, February 14, 2022: The first meeting of the Steering Committee of the 2023 South Asian Games in Pakistan was held last Thursday, February 10, where a decision was made to hold the multi-nation regional event in a befitting manner.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Planning and Development, Asad Umar. The Federal Minister of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), Dr. Fehmida Mirza, and the President of the Pakistan Olympic Association, Lt Gen Syed Arif Hasan, also attended.
The 14th edition of the South Asian Games is scheduled for March 2023 and will feature athletes from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives and host nation Pakistan. The last time these Games were held in Pakistan was back in 2004 in Islamabad.
This time, however, the Games are set to be staged in three different cities – Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad.
The IPC briefed the Steering Committee on the infrastructure development including significant upgrading of existing facilities which would be completed before the Games.
The meeting also focused on the organisational aspects of the Games. Other related matters including logistics, security, venue selection, player training and hiring of foreign coaches were also discussed.
The committee was informed that training camps for athletics, hockey, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling were being held. Foreign coaches for volleyball and taekwondo have been hired while a foreign hockey coach was being pursued.
POA President Syed Hasan during his presentation highlighted different aspects of the Games.
Source: Dawn
Photo: Dawn.com