The Steering Committee for the 14th South Asian Games is set to schedule a meeting on January 31 to finalize the event dates and address funding concerns related to the development of necessary infrastructure.
A meeting led by Caretaker Minister for Planning, Muhammad Sami Saeed, will discuss releasing funds to improve sports facilities for hosting various sports events including the South Asian Games.
Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) officials have also been invited to this meeting.
One of the officials from the IPC Ministry shared that they are working on including the POA in the Steering Committee. This is why they have invited the President and Secretary of the POA to attend the meeting on January 31.
Moreover, the Steering Committee focuses on finalizing a plan for the Organizing Committee to follow and will also address the requirements needed to host the 14th edition of the South Asian Games properly.
It should be noted that the 14th edition of the South Asian Games was initially planned for 2021 it was postponed due to COVID-19 and It was later rescheduled for March 2024.
The South Asian member countries are putting pressure on the POA (Pakistan Olympic Association) to either host the Games soon or pass the hosting rights to Sri Lanka, where the next edition is scheduled.
The Steering Committee meeting on January 31 will discuss possible dates for the Games. Hosting the 14th edition in Pakistan this year seems unlikely, and if member countries agree, it may take place in 2025. The POA will need support from the Pakistani government and member countries to finalize the dates.