ISLAMABAD, April 9: A three member delegation from Nepal flew into Pakistan capital on Wednesday morning to attend the Executive Committee meeting of South Asian Sports Federation.

The SASF Executive, meeting here on Thursday and Friday, has been convened to set new dates for the 9th South Asian Federation (SAF) Games which were scheduled to be held here from March 29 to April 7 before being called off nearly a week before the opening ceremony in the wake of war in Iraq.

The delegation of Nepal’s National Olympic Committee, led by its President, Rukma Shamsher, was received at the airport by officials of the SAF Games Organising Committee.

Shamsher indicated his inclination to retain the Games in Pakistan.

The Sri Lankan delegation is due in the wee hours of Thursday while the one-man representative of Maldives is expected early morning that day. The delegations from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan are also due for the meeting which commences at 10.00 a.m. Thursday.

Besides their NOC President, Rukma Shamsher, the other Nepalese delegates to arrive for the meeting were: Dhurba Bahadur Pradhan (Secretary General) and Kishore Bahadur Singh.

The Sri Lankan NOC President Hemesire Fernando and Secretary General H.U. Silva, will represent their country while the lone Maldivian to attend the meeting is Muhammad Zahir Naseer.

The meeting will be chaired by President of Pakistan Olympic Association Syed Wajid Ali Shah while Lt. Gen. Syed Arif Hasan, the Chairman of Organising Committee of the thrice-postponed Games will also be present.

Talking with APP, the President National Olympic Committee of Nepal, Rukma Shamsher, said that decisions at the SASF meetings are taken with consensus.—APP