Daily Times

LAHORE: Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan said on Tuesday that Punjab Stadium

would be upgraded for holding South Asian Games 2023 events in a befitting manner.

He said this while chairing an important meeting in connection with South Asian

Games 2023 here at National Hockey Stadium.

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 would

be the third edition of South Asian Games to be held in Pakistan after the 2004 and

1989 editions.

Secretary Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Mohammad  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 said that Punjab Stadium would

be the main venue for organising South Asian Games 2023 sports events. “The seating

capacity of the Punjab Stadium would be enhanced so that maximum number of sports

enthusiasts could witness and enjoy the exciting sports competitions of the mega event.

Besides this, top standard other facilities would also be provided at this venue,” he added.

He said that there were several world class sports venues in Punjab where international

sports events could be organised 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 had 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.

Khalid Mehmood said that Pakistan was a peaceful and sports loving country where all

international sports events could be organised quite smoothly. “The sports culture will further

grow in our country after the successful holding of South Asian Games,” he stated.