South Asian Games living on borrowed time

By Susil Premalal

The 14th edition of the South Asian Games (SAG) has officially been put off once again until 2027 by the South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) in coordination with the government of Pakistan.

The postponement is unprecedented in the SAG history as organisers continue to struggle to conduct the event since it was last held in Katmandu in 2019. 

According to the SAOC if all goes well the Games will take place from January 23 to February 6, 2027.

Due to the six-year delay, many athletes from the South Asian region have either aged out of competition or retired, losing the opportunity to showcase themselves for bigger events.

Originally, the Games were planned for March 2023, then postponed to March 2024, later to January 2026, and finally rescheduled for 2027. 

The Pakistan city of Lahore will host the Games with Faisalabad, Islamabad and Karachi supporting the hosting of 27 sports.

The COVID pandemic and the India–Pakistan conflict has been a major factor behind the repeated postponements of the SAG. Pakistan has previously hosted the SAG in 1989 and 2004 in Islamabad.

Bhutan and the Maldives have never hosted the SAG due to limited facilities. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, successfully hosted the Games twice (1991 and 2006) without delays, organising the events at a very high standard.