LAHORE, May 26: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Monday said it is premature to say that the 9th SAF Games would again be re-allocated to Pakistan after Sri Lanka expressed its inability to host the mega event.

“We have not been officially communicated by the South Asian Sports Federation Committee (SASFC) the hosts Sri Lanka has expressed its inability to stage the event,” said Acting Secretary of the POA, Abdul Khaliq Khan, said on Monday.

The Games were thrice postponed in the past due to multiple reasons. They were to be held in October 2001, then they were scheduled next October and finally a fresh date of March, 2003 was decided at a meeting but regional situation forced the SASFC to postpone it and allocated them to Sri Lanka which promised to organise them in year 2004.

Sri Lanka’s refusal to stage the event has put the future of the Games in doldrums. The Organising Committee of the 9th SAF (South Asian Federation) Games in Pakistan suffered huge financial losses because of its postponement as the facilities and infrastructure were renovated and modernised.

“If the hosts are unable to hold the Games the matter would be referred to the Executive Committee of the SASFC which is the supreme forum to decide the future of the Games”, said the POA official.—APP