South Asian Sports Journalists Association Founding(SASJA) President Asghar Ali Mubarak welcomes participants of South Asian Olympic Council meeting
(AAM News)
The South Asian Sports Journalists Association Founding President and Senior Reporter Asghar Ali Mubarak welcomed the participants of the South Asian Olympic Council meeting, describing the ongoing extensive preparations for the grand organization of the 14th South Asian Games (SAIF Games) in Pakistan as a wonderful and great news for the millions of sports lovers in South Asia.
In a special congratulatory statement, he extended a heartfelt welcome to all the foreign delegations and distinguished guests who are coming to attend the very important Executive Committee Meeting of the South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) to be held in the federal capital Islamabad on August 23, 2026.
Asghar Ali Mubarak thanked all the sports leaders and Olympic officials from other countries of the region, including Nepal Olympic Committee President Jeevan Ram Shrestha and Maldives Olympic Committee President Mohamed Abdul Sattar, who have come to Pakistan to promote the mission of “Friendship, Sports”, while the Indian Olympic Committee delegation will participate in this important meeting through video link (online) and take a briefing on the arrangements.
After a long wait, the final dates and venues of the mega event Asghar Ali Mubarak said that the regular schedule of these games, which were delayed due to a long wait and other administrative reasons including the coronavirus, has now been fixed from March 23 to 31, 2027, which is being hosted by Pakistan for the first time since 2004.
These competitions will be held in Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad on a zone-by-zone basis, which will give a huge boost to sports tourism in the country.
The Founding President of the South Asian Sports Journalists Association (SASJA) has lauded the dynamic role of the special sub-committees headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the federal government’s approval of a hefty budget of Rs 11 billion for the upgradation of sports infrastructure to world standards. He said that the establishment of a modern “Games Secretariat” in Islamabad and the timely provision of funds for the renovation of stadiums demonstrate the unwavering commitment of the Pakistani government to the promotion of sports and peace.
8 countries and 3,500 athletes from the region arrive: A confluence of peace and culture According to the report, more than 3,500 eminent athletes from all 8 member countries of the region (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan) will showcase their skills in 27 different sports including cricket, hockey, football, swimming, boxing, wrestling, squash and athletics. For the comfort of the visiting players and officials, arrangements for VIP accommodation, special health catering and 24-hour medical and foolproof VVIP security are being finalized in five-star hotels in the three cities, which will be monitored live by the Central Command.
Asghar Ali Mubarak expressed hope that the most important meeting will prove to be a milestone in finalizing the logistics and arrangements. He concluded his statement with the resolve that this journey of “friendship, sportsmanship” will forever immortalize the long-lasting ties between the countries of the region through mutual harmony, cross-border peace and the power of sports in South Asia.
