The Asian country will host the fourteenth edition of the much-anticipated multi-sport event, which will take place from 23 to 31 January 2026 in the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, and Islamabad, as announced last week by the Executive Committee of the South Asia Olympic Council (SAOC).
Initially scheduled for 2021, the Games were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and additional delays stemming from a lack of coordination between the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and the country’s government that same year. However, with this confirmation of dates and venues, the organizational process is expected to proceed without hitches.
The decision to make Pakistan the heart of the tournament was made in Lahore, at the meeting attended by Arif Saeed, president of the SAOC and the POA, and representatives from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, and India, whose delegation participated virtually. Zahoor Ahmed Chaudhry, federal secretary of Sports of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, also attended, playing a key role in driving the event’s preparations.
During the session, the commitment of the National Olympic Committees to promote sports development and strengthen cooperation through sport was reiterated. Additionally, as a symbol of peace and regional unity, the medals won at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by javelin throwers Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and Neeraj Chopra of India were highlighted. Achievements that undoubtedly reaffirm the local sporting potential and its inspiring power.
The confirmation of the list of disciplines also had its space in the decision-making. In total, there are 27 sports that make up the official programme: athletics, archery, aquatics, badminton, basketball (3×3, 5×5), billiards and snooker, boxing, cricket, football, fencing, golf, handball and beach handball, judo, kabaddi, karate, rugby, shooting, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball and beach volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu, and rowing. Additionally, rowing was proposed as an optional discipline, to be included only if it receives approval from at least four national Olympic committees.
Another relevant announcement was that the specific events for each sport will be defined before 31 March, and the corresponding technical manuals will be prepared after approval by the Asian federations. A South Asia Olympic Council Constitution Review Committee was also established to align its regulations with those of the Olympic Council of Asia. Eight countries will participate in the next edition of the Games: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
