ISLAMABAD, June 26: Some 2,000 athletes are set to participate in the upcoming 32nd National Games scheduled to begin on Friday at the Pakistan Sports Complex.

“We will be promoting Olympic charter in letter and sprit and there stands no dispute over holding of the Games,” National Games’ organising secretary Rana Mujahid told Dawn on Wednesday.

“Pakistan’s national athletes will be seen fighting for top honour in 29 Olympic games,” said Mujahid, also a former hockey player and Olympian.

“Let’s be fair with the system. Let’s not ditch Pakistan’s pride in the international Olympic arena and we respect the international Olympic flag and wants to maintain its dignity and respect by holding the 32nd National Games,” asserted Mujahid.

The government is supporting the 32nd National Games’ organisers because they are trying to break the status quo maintained by some officials.

The government has also released a grant of around Rs80 million through the Pakistan Sports Board to the interim Olympic committee headed by Asif Bajwa and supported by senior Army brass including retired Maj Gen Akram Sahi, a former national athlete. The former Olympian said sports legends would be torch bearers at the Games. The torch relay will start from Faisal Mosque where former Pakistan captain and director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board Javed Miandad would be the first one to start the relay.

He further said, “Jansher Khan (squash); Qamar Zaman, Qasim Zia, Asif Bajwa, Shahbaz Senior, Mohammad Usman, Danish Kaleem, Shafqat Malik, Rizwan Bhutta (hockey); Sadaf Siddiqui, Rabia Ashiq (athletics); Col Qaisar Mustafa (volleyball); Rahila Kashif (table tennis); Nasir Ali, Mohammad Irshad (kabaddi); Suman Rasheed, Sonia Ali, Hasan Saheer (badminton); Iram Qureshi (bodybuilding); Anam and Sabiha (cycling); Mansoor Zaman, Syed Samiullah (judo) and many other notables will be part of the torch relay.”

Commenting on the security arrangements, Mujahid said they have already written to interior secretary Qamar Zaman Chaudhry and the Games will be held under “foolproof security”.

“We have no security fears right now because the government will assist us in providing security besides senior police officer Zaffar Abbas Luk is the security head of the Games,” the secretary of the Games added.

The colourful opening ceremony, he said, would be held at the Pakistan Sports Complex and it will be “memorable Games”.