ISLAMABAD, Jan 8: Pakistan's 27-member ski contingent, which arrived in India on Jan 5 for the first South Asian Games, is virtually under siege as Indian authorities have placed 300 police and intelligence officials for vigilance around the hotel where the team is staying, has learnt from a federal sports official.

“The reports we have received here from India are not positive because for 27-member contingent 300 security personnel is huge number, which is unfair, while the focus of the hosts should have been on provision of better boarding and lodging facilities like the internet and mobile communication, which are also missing,” said the official.

He said the team was staying at Bijapur State Guest House at Dehradun, one of the venues, while all the other participating teams were staying in the main city.

Two venues Dehradun and Auli are to host to the first South Asian Winter Games.

Auli would host skiing events from Jan 14 to 16 while Dehradun would organise ice-skating events from Jan 12-14 as skiers from Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka would also test their mettle.

“The opening venue of the Winter Games has also been changed from Auli to Dehradun which has brought logistical trouble for the skiers,” the official said.

With the change of opening ceremony venue, he said, only four skiers and three officials would now be able to participate in the opening ceremony.

Pakistani players grouped in 11, he said, were left with no option but to travel to Auli one of the difficult mountaineering terrains.

“The drive upwards is very bumpy and roads are pathetic while Pakistani skiers were dispatched in two groups and have reached the games venue after a hectic 12-hour drive only to have few better practice sessions,” he added.

“The moral of the contingent is high despite all the hardships and our skiers are set to give tough time to all the participating nations,” he said.

“Olympian Mohammad Abbas is our main skier in the event and has already registered better timings against his Indian competitor in the 2010 Winter Games, held in Vancouver, Canada,” he said.

Meanwhile, federal secretary sports Aziz Bilour and Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit were not available for comments on the current development.