LAHORE, July 21: The general council of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) will meet on Wednesday to fix the dates of the 29th National Games at Quetta.

“It is a very important meeting which will mainly be focusing on fixing the dates of the Games besides knowing the progress made in motivating the Balochistan Government for creating of facilities for this premier event”, Muhammad Muhammad Latif Butt said on Monday

He said the meeting would be attended by the Provincial Minister for Sports Balochistan, Lt.Col. (retd) Muhammad Yunus Chengazi and secretary, Balochistan Olympic Association, Muhammad Afzal Awan. BOA President, Senator, Muhammad Sarwar Khan Kakkar, is also likely to attend the meeting.

“It is an encouraging sign that some progress have been made to hold the Games in Quetta as the Balochistan Sports Minister has written a letter to POA, assuring that necessary facilities would be built at all cost for staging the sports extravaganza there,” he said.

POA has made it mandatory to all of its affiliated units and Provincial Olympic Associations to develop infrastructure including a modern swimming pool and a tartan track for holding the Games. POA has also reiterated its pledge that any unit failing to meet these requirement would not be allowed to hold the Games and they have set the same condition to BOA.

“It is a kind of assurance which we have received from the BOA and we expect that efforts would be made to build these facilities in near future,” said Latif.

He said the Sports Minister in the letter has requested the POA to give them some time for the creation of these facilities and it would not be possible to hold the Games this year. BOA were scheduled to hold the National Games in the current year and they have assured to stage the Games in 2004 after completion of the facilities. The Games were allotted to them at the conclusion of the Games at Lahore in 2001.

“We will be fully supporting the stance of the BOA on extending the time period and hope that meeting would have a consensus on this issue as creation of facilities in Quetta is very important as far as the holding of the Games and promotion of the sports,” he said.

Latif said that in the letter the provincial minister has also stated that the a grant of Rs 50 million has been earmarked by the Prime Minister for building up a pool and laying a tartan track.—APP