ISLAMABAD, March 3: Maldives became the first country whose "entry by name" was received by the SAF Games Organising Committee (SGOC) on Wednesday. Muhammad Yahya, director Technical for the Games said that apart from Nepal, entries of all other countries that are due to take part in the regional event, were on their way.

He said that the SGOC had now dispatched the entry forms to Nepal where a rift between their National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the government had left their participation in the Games in a limbo.

Yahya said that on the instructions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to its affiliate in Pakistan, the entry forms had been sent to the Nepalese NOC.

The organizers of the March 29 to April 7 Games in Islamabad, had said earlier that they would extend deadline for submission of entries for Nepal if the need arose.

The last date for sending in the entries by name was Feb 29. A total of eight countries will be on show in the Games, postponed three times since October 2001.