The 35th National Games will take place in Karachi from May 1 to 9, it was decided during a meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Sindh Sports Minister Sardar Muhammad Baksh Mahaha.
The nine -day event will take place under the supervision of the Olympic Association of Sindh (SOA), of which Mahaha is president, with the support of the Sindh government.
The secretary of the Olympic Association of Pakistan, Khalid Mahmood, was also present on the occasion.
The Sindh government had completed all the preparations to organize the games, he said.
Officials of the Federations and Sports Associations of all the provinces attended today’s meeting, including the Secretary of Sports Abdul Aleem Lashari, the secretary of SOA, Ahmed Ali Rajput, and several sports officers of the district of Karachi.
During the meeting, the preparations and administrative matters related to the host of the National Games in Karachi were reviewed.
In addition, suggestions of all associations with respect to the places were heard.
Mahar said the invitations had already been sent to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for opening and closing ceremonies.
In addition, the Relay of the Torch will be inaugurated by the president of PPP, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and Sindh’s Prime Minister, Murad Ali Shah.
Mahar said that the Sindh government will strive to make the games as successful as possible, emphasizing that this was not only an event for Sindh but for the whole country.
He pointed out that swimming events will take place in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation pool. Mahar also said the efforts are underway to build a new Pool in Sindh soon.
The Sports Minister said the goal was to raise Sindh athletes from national levels to international levels.
The improved security, the arrangements of the paramedic staff and the committees dedicated for the coverage of social, electronic and printed media will be guaranteed, Mahar said.
Doctors and ambulances will be present in all places, and special arrangements will be made in hospitals.
Poa’s secretary, Mahmood, said participating athletes will receive daily assignments and other facilities.
At the beginning of the month, Mahar had said that the games will take place in 21 places in Karachi, with 34 sports and participation of 10,000 athletes and male and female officials.
The teams of Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan would compete in the National Games.
The departmental teams of the Pakistan Army, the Pakistan Air Force, the Navy of Pakistan, Wapda, Railroads, the Police and the Higher Education Commission would also participate in the National Gala.
“The games will have 2,760 provincial team athletes and 5,600 departmental outfits, along with 1,200 technical officials and 132 traditional athletes,” Mahar said.
He also said that the National Games were held in Sindh after 18 years, with all resolved logistics challenges.
The 34 National Games were held in Quetta in May 2023. The Army won 199 golds in 32 disciplines and 398 medals in general, ending very much in front of Wapda in second place, whose account of 290 in general included 109 golds.
