ISLAMABAD: Besides Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad some events of next year’s South Asian Games (SAG) will also be held in Narowal, it was announced on Friday.

A sub-committee under the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) secretary will visit all the venues to recommend venues for organising different sports in the SAG.

The decision to include Narowal as a host for the SAG was made during a meeting which was jointly chaired by Adviser to Prime Minster on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Rana Sanaullah Khan and Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

The meeting discussed the arrangements for the 14th South Asian Games to be held in Pakistan from Jan 23 to Jan 31 next year. Representatives from all departments concerned participated in the meeting and reviewed proposals and preparations for holding the regional sporting gala successfully.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanaullah said that 27 disciplines will feature in the SAG adding that the government was committed to hosting the games according to international standards.

A comprehensive discussion on potential challenges and obstacles that may arise during the SAG was held during the meeting, with a focus on addressing them proactively.

During the meeting, it was emphasised that hosting an international sporting event like the SAG would play a key role in promoting Pakistan’s positive image globally.

Sanaullah said that the Punjab government and the Islamabad administration were actively working to provide state-of-the-art venues and top-class hospitality for athletes and officials.

Earlier, the meeting was informed that Pakistan’s training camps for various SAG disciplines, including volleyball, wrestling, weightlifting, taekwondo, athletics, hockey and others, would be organised.

Furthermore, the meeting decided to hire foreign coaches for Pakistan’s volleyball and taekwondo teams.

Expressing his views on the occasion, Ahsan emphasised that the Games would serve as a platform for Pakistan to showcase its soft image, proving that the country was a peaceful destination for hosting international events and had the capability to organise major sports events.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025