July 7, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 25,1423

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LAHORE, July 6:The Punjab Olympic Association (POA), in its general council meeting held Saturday, has decided to include at least twelve disciplines in the 69th Punjab Games to be held from Nov 2 to 4.

POA has also formed a six-member Committee to review the arrangements of the Games.

The committee is headed by the POA president Syed Shahid Ali. Khawaja Farooq Saeed, Sarfraz  Ahmad, Khawaja Idrees Haider, Khaliq Khan and the director general Punjab Sports Board are the other members.

“As the division system on which the POA was based has been changed with the district system, therefore, it is yet to be decided how the Games will be organised,” the POA secretary, Khawaja Idrees Haider said at press conference.

He pointed out that it would be a major task to hold the Games under the devolution plan as no one could entertain  the contingent of 34 districts in all the 12 sports. He admitted that POA had delayed to amend its constitution to incorporate the devolution plan.

The twelve disciplines are athletics, swimming, cycling, badminton, table tennis, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, volleyball, bodybuilding, gymnastic and hockey.

He said any sports body other than the 12 listed, if interested in the Games, could register its name with the committee before July 31. However, the decision to accept the request or otherwise would be taken by the committee.

The secretary also stated that the Punjab Sports Board director general had assured the meeting that the Punjab Stadium with facilities for football and athletics would be ready by Oct 30.

Ironically, the POA which had been delaying the Games till the completion of the Punjab Stadium has excluded football from the Games.