ISLAMABAD, April 3: The SAF Games mascots, Bholu and Sassi have finally made a hefty appearance - their giant inflated dolls now sit at the main entrance of the Pakistan Sports Complex.

Bholu, the brown Himalayan bear and Sassi, the blind Indus dolphin had not been allowed to play a major part in the Games and were nowhere to be seen.

The two creatures were also ignored during Monday's opening ceremony at the Jinnah Stadium following which the organizers had been criticized for not giving the kind of attention to the mascots they deserved.

It is perhaps a result of that criticism that has led to the mascots being given the opportunity to greet visitors.

The brown bear and the blind dolphin have been declared endangered species. They were chosen as the mascots through a nationwide contest. When Islamabad last hosted the SAF Games in 1989, a dancing horse had been selected as the mascot.