Pakistan will host the South Asian Games 2027 from April 3 to 11 across Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar next year.
The South Asia Olympic Council (SAOC) approved the dates and venues for the regional multi-sport event at a recent meeting in Islamabad.
The South Asian Games were initially scheduled for 2021 but were postponed several times over six years for various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
They were subsequently slated for March 2023, then pushed back to March 2024 and January 2026, before finally being rescheduled for April 2027.
Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar were approved as the host cities, with representatives from Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka attending the meeting in person.
The officials also inspected proposed sporting venues in Islamabad.
The 2027 South Asian Games will be the 14th edition of the regional event. Pakistan last hosted the Games in Islamabad in 2004, 15 years after staging it for the first time in the capital in 1989.
The 14th edition of the meet will feature 28 sports and 346 medal events, with more than 3200 athletes expected to participate.
India are the most successful nation in South Asian Games history, having won 2378 medals – 1263 gold, 736 silver and 379 bronze.
They also topped the standings at the previous edition in Kathmandu and Pokhara, Nepal, in 2019, winning 312 medals – 175 gold, 92 silver and 45 bronze.
However, India’s participation in the 2027 Games is yet to be confirmed. Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka are expected to compete.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/south-asian-games-2027-dates
