Quetta to host 4th Inter-Provincial Games from Oct 20: POA

PESHAWAR: The fourth edition of the Inter-Provincial Games will be held in Quetta from October 20-22.

Vice President of Pakistan Olympic Association Syed Aqil Shah, who is also Provincial Minister for Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told this to APP on phone soon after presiding over a meeting of the Pakistan Olympic Association in Islamabad on Monday.

The meeting was attended by Vice President POA and President Army Sports Board Brig Iqtidar Ali, Secretary POA Khalid Khan, Director General POA Major Afzal, Sports Minister Balochistan Mir Shah Nawaz Mari, Idrees Haider Khawjah, Secretary Punjab Olympic Association, Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association Zulfiqar Butt, Muhammad Afzal Awan, Secretary Balochistan Olympic Association, Ahmad Ali Tajpur, Secretary Sindh Olympic Association, Major Zafar Ahmad, Secretary Islamabad Olympic Association, Ch. Muhammad Asghar, Secretary Pakistan Wrestling Federation, Haji Muhammad Shafique, Secretary Pakistan Handball Federation, Khalid Mehmood, Associate Secretary POA and Director Wapda Sports Board.

A total of 22 disciplines have been included with 16 men games comprising Athletics, Baseball, Body Building, Boxing, Cycling, Football, Gymnastic, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Karate, Kabaddi (Asian Style), Squash, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling and six women games including Athletic s, Cycling, Wushu, Taekwondo, Squash and Volleyball.

He said no departmental players apart from the Higher Education Commission would be allowed to the games and the age of the players had been strictly fixed to 25 years. The contingents of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with new entrants Islamabad and FATA will vie for top honours. He also congratulated both FATA and Islamabad to be part of the Games under POA.

He said the decision will be taken to provide A-class accommodation to the players and officials as they would be provided hotel accommodation only. There would be a Chief de Mission, Deputy Chief de Mission and Secretary of the Contingent with each of the contingents will have five media people to be facilitated accordingly.

He said soon after the Eid-ul-Fitre a special committee of POA headed by Ch. Yaqoon will visit to Quetta to assess the security arrangements in Quetta. He said if Quetta could not arrange Games, it will be held in Islamabad in the same date.

Aqil Shah disclosed that another POA committee headed by him will visit all the venues and will see the accommodation, transportation and other arrangements. He also announced trials dates to prepare Khyber Pakhtunkhwa contingent well in time. The trials will be held on September 5-7, he added. The trials will be open to all and any player below 25-years will be eligible to take part in the trials. He also directed all the associations whose discipline has been included in the 4th Inter-Provincial Games to announce its selection committee.

He also requested Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Writers Association to nominate five members journalist committee who will also monitor the trials besides part of the KP contingent.