14th South Asian Games: Peshawar To Host Some Disciplines Of The Games: Syed Aqil Shah

Peshawar is ready to hold some of the disciplines of the forthcoming 14th South Asian Games next year along with other major cities of Pakistan, Vice President Pakistan Olympic Association Syed Aqil Shah told media men here on Wednesday

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Sep, 2020 ) :Peshawar is ready to hold some of the disciplines of the forthcoming 14th South Asian Games next year along with other major cities of Pakistan, Vice President Pakistan Olympic Association Syed Aqil Shah told media men here on Wednesday.

However, the South Asian Games Management Committee and Pakistan Olympic Association in due course of time, Aqil Shah informed a delegation of the Sports Writers Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The events will be a source of pride for our province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the millions of people living in it, Syed Aqil Shah said.

He said, Pakistan awarded the right of the 14th edition of the South Asian Games next year. The 2021 South Asian Games, officially the XIV South Asian Games, will be a major multi-sport event to be held this time in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, he informed.

The organizers are also looking into hosting these Games in five other cities including Peshawar, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Karachi. Pakistan has hosted the South Asian Games in 2004, it will be for the first time that Pakistan would host the events outside of Islamabad.

In 2019, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Sports announced that Sri Lanka had bid for the 2021 Games in a partnership with the Maldives; however, Pakistan was announced as host in Dec 2019. On Dec 10, 2019, POA President Arif Hassan received the Games flag officially.

It was reported that the government of Pakistan designated around Rs. 2 billion for infrastructure development. In July 2020, it was announced that the Federal government had set forth more than Rs3.5 billion for the South Asian Games.

POA wants to base these Games in Lahore while holding selected sports in other cities including Peshawar, Syed Aqil Shah informed. Peshawar is a strong contender for holding some of the discipline of having much updated facilities.

In May 2020, Mardan, KP, expressed hosting events at a gymnasium, despite not being a host city. Syed Aqil Shah, President of the KP Olympic Association requested that the POA should include Peshawar as one of the host cities for the Games.

When contacted Syed Aqil Shah, Vice President of POA told APP that the decision was taken to host some of the South Asian Games in Peshawar. It has been decided to select Peshawar for the 14th South Asian Games, another honor for the city of flowers, Peshawar. The South Asian Games to be held next year should be held in a smooth manner in Peshawar. However, the South Asian Games Management Committee and Pakistan Olympic Association have taken the final decision, he said.

Aqil Shah said that Chief Minister KP is very keen to provide all-out facilities to POA for the Games and the KP government would play its full role in this connection. He said that Peshawar has already achieved the status of City of Sports.

Syed Aqil Shah, currently in Kalam, said Peshawar got the honor of hosting 32nd National Games, 33rd National Games and two provincial Games together with the Pakistan Olympic Association, KP Olympics Association and Directorate General of Sports KP.

He said that holding a few events of the South Asian Games would be a source of pride for our province and for the millions of people living in it. "Our grounds and gyms will be better modernized and the players will also benefit more,: he said. It should be noted that the member countries of the South Asian Games include India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It is an honor that we have hosted the National Games eight times. The 32nd and 33rd National Games held in Peshawar, were the most successful and best ever Games declared in the history of Pakistan.

Syed Aqil Shah, who has been Pakistan's Chief of Mission three times in the Olympics, further said that KP is rich in talent. He said that KP government and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Secretary Sports Abid Majeed, Additional Secretary Sports Junaid Khan, DG Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak and the team of KP Olympic Association have the ability to host some of the 14th South Asian Games's disciplines successfully.