Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan has said that Punjab Stadium will be upgraded for the holding of South Asian Games 2023 events in a befitting manner; he said this while chairing an important meeting in connection with South Asian Games 2023 at National Hockey Stadium on Tuesday.

The meeting was convened to review the arrangements, particularly venues of the mega event scheduled to be staged in Pakistan after a long gap of 19 years. It will be the third edition of South Asian Games to be held in Pakistan after the 2004 and 1989 editions.

Secretary Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Khalid Mehmood, Secretary Punjab Olympic Association Idris Haider Khawaja, Chief Sports Consultant Hafeez Bhatti and other officials attended the meeting. Different features and other key details of various venues were shown through slides during the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan said Punjab Stadium will be the main venue for organising South Asian Games 2023 sports events. “The seating capacity of the Punjab Stadium will be enhanced so that the maximum number of sports enthusiasts could witness and enjoy the exciting sports competitions of the mega event. Besides this, top standard other facilities will also be provided at this venue,” he added.

Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan further said that there are several world class sports venues in Punjab where international sports events could be organized quite comfortably. “Definitely it will be a big honour for Pakistan to host an international sports extravaganza of South Asian Games at our own venues and in this regard international level arrangements are being made”.

Secretary Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Khalid Mehmood, on this occasion said that Pakistan has been blessed with immense sports talent and world class players in every game. “The holding of South Asian Games in Pakistan will portray the country’s soft image among the international community,” he added.

Secretary POA Khalid Mehmood said that Pakistan is a peaceful and sports loving country where all international sports events could be organized quite smoothly. “The sports culture will further grow in our country after the successful holding of the South Asian Games,” he stated.

Islamabad ( sports reporter    ): President, Pakistan Netball Federation, Mudassar Arain has appealed to Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Dr. Fahmeeda Mirza that the government should include the netball game recognized by the International Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Federation in the South Asian Games-2023 so that Pakistan can win two gold medals in both men’s and women’s events. The South Asian Games will be played in Pakistan next year in March, 2023. 

Talking to media, he said that the netball game is affiliated with the Commonwealth Games Federation, recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Netball is also being played in the Asian Games and South Asian Games.He said that Netball was also included in the Asian Indoor and Martial Art in Thailand and the South Asian Beach Games in Sri Lanka. He said that netball is also being played in seven countries of South Asia, including Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Mudassar Arain said that Pakistan had won two silver medals in the Asian Men’s Netball Championship held in Malaysia in 2017 & 2018 and also a bronze medal in the South Asian Beach Games played in Sri Lanka.

He said that the South Asian Games would be held in Pakistan in March 2023 next year and Pakistan has a very good chance of winning two gold medals in men’s and women’s netball events.

He said that there was no shortage of netball talent in the country and Pakistan would definitely win two gold medals in the South Asian Games which will be played at its home ground. He further said that International Netball Federation and Asian Netball Federation have also recommended in a letter to Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr. Fahmeeda Mirza regarding inclusion of netball in the South Asian Games.

They have also offered their full support during the games.
Mudassar Arain has requested the Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Dr. Fahmeeda Mirza to take personal interest and include netball in the South Asian Games-2023 so that Pakistan will win two gold medals in both men’s and women’s events.

The Pakistan Cricket Board today expressed its sadness following the death of Aftab Baloch, who in 1969 made his Test debut at the age of 16 against New Zealand in Dhaka. He was 69. Aftab scored 25 in his only innings in the drawn Test and had to wait for six years for his second and final Test in which he scored 12 and 60 not out against the West Indies in Lahore.

Aftab remains the sixth youngest player to make a Test debut and is remembered for his 428 (584 minutes, 25×4) in Karachi as Sindh captain against Balochistan in the 1973-74 season. In the same match, Javed Miandad, playing his eighth first-class match, scored 100 and added 174 runs for the fifth wicket with Aftab as Sindh declared their first innings at 951 for seven in reply to Balochistan’s 93 and then skittled out the visitors for the second time for 283.

Aftab ended his 172-match first-class career with 9,171 runs (41.68 average) and 223 wickets (31.62). After retirement, Aftab Baloch served as Pakistan U19 team manager as well as junior selector. He was presently a member of the Sindh Cricket Association.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “I am deeply saddened to hear the passing of Aftab Baloch, who was one the most popular cricketers when I was growing. I not only had the privilege of watching him in action, but also played against him in the twilight of his career. “As he was a close friend of my late brother Wasim Hasan Raja, I knew him well outside the field of play and always admired him for his passion, love and understanding of the game. He was gentle, friendly and caring, and had qualities that made him a widely respected and loved person. “On behalf of the PCB, I would like to pass our condolences to Aftab Baloch’s family, close friends and the Sindh Cricket Association at this difficult time.”