Athletes practicing for upcoming 32nd National games at Jinnah Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex. PHOTO: APP
The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Interim Committee, along with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), is organising the event that will see male athletes participating in 27 disciplines, while the women take part in 11.
The authenticity of the Games have seen divided opinion as people who supported the General (retd) Arif Hasan-led POA claim that these Games are bogus and they had originally hosted National Games six months earlier.
However, the organisers have been keen on staging another edition of the event, vowing to put the Rs80 million grant to good use and have also guaranteed complete transparency.
“We’ll make sure that the funds are utilised in the best possible manner to make the Games a big success,” one of the interim committee officials told The Express Tribune. “We all are aware that people will try throwing allegations on us which is why we will make sure that the event is held immaculately so that we can send a strong message to our critics.”
The interim committee official added that the spectacle would be of high interest for people living in and outside Pakistan, as it is a high-profile competition with nearly 2,000 participants. He said hosting it safely remains a top priority as well.
Chairman Organising Committee and City District Authority official Nadeem Hassan said that all the female athletes will be staying at the PSB hostels, while all male athletes will stay at different hotels in the federal capital. A media centre has also been established at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad.
He added that special security measures have been taken with Inspector General Zafar Abbas Luk heading the security team.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2013.
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