National Athletics Championship in Karachi from Mar 28

KARACHI: The 45th National Athletics Championship will be held at the Karachi centre of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) from March 28 to 30.

This was decided at a meeting of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) held in Islamabad a couple of days ago, chaired by its president Major General (Rtd) Akram Sahi, ‘The News’ has learnt.

Zahid Rizvi, vice president of the AFP and president of the Sindh Athletics Association (SAA), said that it was decided in the meeting that the SAA be tasked with organising the championship.

He further said that the dates of national junior youth U-16, and national junior U-19 athletics championship were also decided in the AFP meeting. The U-16 event will be held on January 27, and the U-19 on 28th, both in Islamabad.

The SAA president said that he would call a meeting of the SAA in a couple of days to form the organising committee for the national championship.

He said that the SAA would provide lodging to provinces’ contingents, but the departments would have to make their own arrangements.

He said the other details of the championship would be announced after the organising committee was formed.

He said that last year the championship was shifted to Islamabad for some reasons, but now the SAA was committed to organise the event in Karachi. “We will organise the event in the port city in a befitting manner whatever hurdles there might be.”

He further said that 16 units would participate in the championship this year because two more units have been affiliated with the AFP, FATA and Pakistan Intermediate Board.

Rizvi said that the championship would be held at PSB’s Karachi center tartan track. He said that the SOA would try its best to get installed an electronic timer, but if it could not be arranged the event would be held without it.

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