LAHORE: In a major step towards strengthening preparations for next year’s South Asian Games, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Wednesday constituted a 17-member special committee to oversee events, athletes’ selection, training and technical arrangements.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the 14th edition of the regional gala in April “The committee, approved by POA President Arif Saeed, will be headed by Brigadier Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Director of the Fitness and Sports Directorate, Pakistan Army, while Colonel Nabeel Ahmed Rana has been appointed its secretary. The move aims to establish a coordinated framework for preparing Pakistan’s athletics squad and ensuring the smooth and professional conduct of competitions in line with international standards,” read a POA press release issued on Wednesday.
“The committee brings together representatives from Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Higher Education Commission (HEC), Wapda, sports organisations and Olympic associations, alongside experienced sports officials and Olympians,” the release added.
“The members include Commander Shakeel Haider, Group Captain Sohail Manzoor, Muhammad Umair Aslam Malik, Muhammad Ismail, Athar Ismail, Rizwan Shoukat, Olympians Sadaf Siddiqui, Shabana Akhtar, and Syed Guhar Raza.
“Retired Wing Commander Parvaiz Saeed Mir and Muhammad Zafar have been named organising delegates, while Salman Iqbal Butt will serve as competition director and Tariq Mahmood Siddhu as deputy secretary. Representatives of the Pakistan Sports Board and the Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad Olympic Associations will also be part of the committee,” the POA release further said.
The body’s tasks will include the selection of the hosts’ athletes.
PREPARATION OF HOME ATHLETES
“Under its mandate, the committee will oversee the selection, training and preparation of [Pakistan] athletes and officials for the Games,” the release stated.
“It will also coordinate coaching programmes, technical support and other requirements for the national athletics squad, while planning, organising and supervising the athletics competitions in collaboration with the South Asian Games Organising Committee, PSB and other relevant institutions.
“The committee will also ensure compliance with the rules and technical requirements of World Athletics and Asian Athletics.”
The release added, “Its [the committee’s] chairman may co-opt additional technical experts in consultation with the POA whenever necessary.”
It may be mentioned here that the POA had disaffiliated the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) in 2020 after the latter had refused to cooperate with the probe committee formed by the POA to investigate the positive dope tests of three Pakistani athletes in the 2019 South Asian Games held in Nepal.
The entries of all the athletes are bound to go through the POA for major events like Olympics, Asian Games and South Asian Games.
Therefore, this committee will ensure participation of the home athletes in the South Asian Games.
Interestingly, the AFP did not challenge the POA decision of suspending the affiliation of the federation.
Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2026
