PESHAWAR: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president retired Lt Gen Arif Hasan says tourism, environment, culture and heritage will be the theme of the forthcoming 33rd National Games to be held in Peshawar from Oct 26 to Nov 1.

“The National Games will advocate a clean environment and a greener Pakistan while also highlight the importance of culture and heritage of all the provinces,” Arif said.

The National Games will be held in Khyber Pakht­unkhwa and all preparatory work has been completed.

“POA and KP government are collaborating to hold the games successfully. We are thankful to KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and Senior Provincial Minister Atif Khan for their support,” he said.

Arif said athletic events will be held in Peshawar if the synthetic tartan track at Qayyum Stad­ium is repaired by October 5.

He further said that open trials will be held for all sports events in order to form teams, which will participate in the National Games so that players are selected on merit. All provincial associations have been directed to hold open trials.

The torch relay ceremony will begin from Karachi on Oct 6 and it would be taken to every province along with Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir to eventually reach Gilgit-Baltistan on Oct 17.

On Oct 20 at Babusar Top, one of the highest points in Gilgit-Baltistan, the torch relay will be given to KP Olympic Association. From there, the National Games torch will be taken to Peshawar, where it will reach on Oct 26.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2019