LAHORE: For the sixth time, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has deferred the holding of 33rd National Games on the request of Balochistan’s government.

The Games were to be held in the month of November in Quetta but now these will be organized from April 21-29 next year. ‘It is for the information of all concerned that based on the request of Government of Balochistan, non preparation of sports venues and severe weather conditions in November in Quetta, the 33rd National Games have been postponed and will now be held from April on 21-29, 2018. This is decided in consultation with all stake holders,’ a POA press release said after their general council meeting here on Monday.

The Games were to be staged in 2014 but due to law and order situation in the country, the province has been reluctant to give a green signal for the event. The POA, instead of allotting the National Games to any other province, has been constantly delaying the event without giving much thought to the damage it is causing to the careers of thousands of players who could get jobs in various departments and who could get promotion for winning medals for their departments in the National Games.

This time, though no law and order situation has been the cause of postponing the sports gala, the future of the games is still in doldrums due to Balochistan government’s lackluster attitude towards staging the Games.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2017