LAHORE, Sept 14: The athletics and shooting disciplines of the forthcoming National Games are likely to be shifted to Islamabad because of poor infrastructure available in Quetta.
The representatives of Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation (PAAF) and Pakistan shooting officials had expressed their concern over poor facilities for both the events in the organising committee meeting held in Quetta on Sunday and they are interested in shifting the disciplines to Islamabad.
Swimming and rowing had already been shifted to Islamabad while sailing to Karachi. The cycling event has been confined to only road competitions as there is no velodrome available in Quetta.
The games were scheduled to be held last year but they had to be postponed by the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) for one year after getting assurance from the Balochistan Olympic Association (BOA) that a new swimming pool and tartan track will be available for the games by that time.
Meanwhile, some members of the POA general council, who attended the meeting, raised their objection over including the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in the games since the department is not affiliated with the POA.
The affiliation of the HEC has been cancelled by the POA after it changed its name from University Grants Commission to HEC. The secretary Pakistan Gymnastics Federation Painda A Malik was most vocal and said that the general council had been bypassed totally in this connection which reflect it was a dummy body. It is said that the POA allowed the affiliation to HEC without getting approval of the general council.
