Every News: Aqil plans to invite India, other neighbours’ contingents to National Games

Aqil plans to invite India, other neighbours’ contingents to National Games
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KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association’s President Syed Aqil Shah on Wednesday revealed that he plans to invite India and a few other neighbouring nations to send their contingents for token participation in the 33rd National Games which his province is going to host in Peshawar later this year.“I want to also invite Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan and even India for token participation. It would be my duty to invite India and giving visas to its contingent would be the responsibility of the government,” Aqil Shah told ‘The News’ in an interview from Peshawar.Shah was quick to add that Gilgit Baltistan would also be given an opportunity to ensure its token participation.Shah, however, made it clear that those, who would ensure their token participation, would be awarded medals but they would not be part of the tabulation of the event. The 33rd National Games, which Quetta was supposed to host last month, were shifted to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recently.Balochistan was rather given the 34th National Games which the province could organise at the appropriate time next year.Shah said the actual schedule of the Games was yet to be finalised. “The dates have not yet been finalised. Personally, it is my desire to hold the Games at the end of September.By doing so we would be able to give at least two months to Pakistan’s contingent to prepare for the 13th South Asian Games which Nepal would host in Kathmandu and Pokhara from December 1-10,” said Shah, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Sports Commission.Shah also conceded that KP had the capability to host such major events in befitting way.“KP has the best available infrastructure in the country after the Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad,” Shah claimed.To a query Shah said for ensuring smooth conduction of the Games his priority would be to host most of the events in Peshawar.However he was quick to add that the competition of badminton and one more discipline would be organised at the Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex in Charsadda and archery and baseball could be organised in Mardan.“We have facilities in other cities as well but if we opt for them then it would create an administrative problem for us,” Shah said. He also said that they had at their disposal facilities of Pakistan Air Force (PAF), especially for golf, tennis and squash. “I have requested the PAF and they have agreed to give its facilities,” Shah said.Shah informed that Rs 150 million would be required for conducting the competitions.When asked how he agreed to host the 33rd National Games, Shah said that he had held a meeting with the KP Chief Minister at a time when it looked evident that Quetta was facing issues in hosting the competitions.“I told the CM that the Games are being shifted from Quetta and the other provinces are ready to host it. If we bring the event to KP, how it would be, the CM replied why not, you can bring it and that is why we offered that KP could host it,” Shah said.“We have never opposed Balochistan and even we had offered them if they are going to host the Games we would also give them skilled manpower who would back them in organising the spectacle,” Shah said. Shah said that KP had organised National Games in 2010 and a couple of Inter-Provincial Games at a time when there were bomb blasts everywhere in the province. He also revealed that the National Games torch would start its journey from Mazar-e-Quaid and would be taken to Torkham, bordering Afghanistan, and from there it would be brought to the actual venue of the Games in Peshawar.He said the Prime Minister of Pakistan would be invited to the opening ceremony and the President would be invited for the closing.Shah said every effort would be made to host the vital spectacle in a befitting way.“It’s the most important event and no stone will be left upturned in hosting it in the most decent way,” Shah said.Following the merger of tribal belt in KP, a joint contingent of both areas would be fielded in the National Games under a single flag.Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan and South Waziristan are now the districts of the tribal belt and their associations in every sports discipline would be merged with the respective associations affiliated with the KP Olympic Association.Shah acknowledged that FATA had great potential in sports, adding, he was sure that 30 per cent of its players would become part of the KP contingent purely on merit.“They would be given full chance to feature in trials and press for their selection in various teams of the KP contingent.