LAHORE: In an exciting development for women’s sports in Pakistan, the 34th National Games scheduled to be held in Quetta from May 15 to 23 will include women’s cricket as one of three exhibition sports. The decision was announced in a press release by the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), which also revealed that tug of war and futsal will be the other two exhibition sports in the gala, in addition to 31 regular disciplines. The inclusion of women’s cricket in the National Games is a significant step towards promoting the sport in Pakistan. Although the game has been included in the Asian and Commonwealth Games in the past, this is the first time it will be part of a national sporting event. The International Cricket Council is also making efforts to include the sport in the Olympics Games, and this move may pave the way for more significant opportunities for women’s cricket in Pakistan. While the inclusion of women’s cricket as an exhibition sport is a positive step, some believe that making it a regular sport in the National Games could have an even more significant impact. Overall, the inclusion of women’s cricket in the National Games is a welcome development for women’s sports in Pakistan, and it is hoped that this will pave the way for more opportunities and recognition for women athletes in the country. Disciplines to be contested during the National Games: Archery (men & women), Athletics (men & women), Badminton (men & women), Baseball (men), Basketball (men & women), Bodybuilding (men), Boxing (men & women), Cycling (men & women), Football (men & women), Golf (men & women), Gymnastics (men), Handball (men & women), Hockey (men & women), Judo (men & women), Kabaddi (men), Karate (men & women), Rugby (men & women), Rowing (men & women), Sailing (men & women), Shooting (men & women), Squash (men & women), Softball (women), Swimming (men & women), Table Tennis (men & women), Taekwondo (men & women), Tennis (men & women), Volleyball (men & women), Weightlifting (men & women), Wrestling (men), Wushu (men & women) and Fencing (men & women).