India proposes mid-Feb for hosting South Asian Games
NABIN KHATIWADA
KATHMANDU, April 11: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has submitted a proposal to the South Asian Olympic Council seeking to host the 12th edition of the South Asian Games (SAG) in mid-February 2013.
India had proposed to host the 12th SAG in Delhi after Bhutan expressed its inability to host the Games during the 41st South Asian Olympic Council in Dhaka in February 2010. As per the tradition of bringing the games to each Country of South Asia, Bhutan had been selected as the host for the 12th edition of the Games originally.
Now if the South Asian Olympic Council´s upcoming meeting endorses the proposal, SAG, a bi-annual event scheduled for 2012, would be held in Delhi in mid-February 2013.
According to Nepal Olympic Committee President Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan, IOA has sent an official letter to all national Olympic committees of South Asia informing that it would host the regional sports event in Delhi for eight days starting February 13, 2013.
"Presidents and general secretaries of the national Olympic committees from South Asia will hold an informal meeting in Moscow during the meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)," said Pradhan. "We´ll discuss dates and games to be included at the informal meeting and finalize it at an official meeting later," he added.
According to Pradhan, IOA has proposed to host all the 23 games that were included in the 11th South Asian Games, Dhaka and also proposed fencing, equestrian, gymnastics and triathlon in the 12th edition.
Earlier, IOA Acting President Vijay Kumar Malhotra had unofficially informed other member nations that India would be able to host SAG only in 2013. IOA had informed that it is busy making preparations for the London Olympics to be held in 2012 and offered to host SAG in 2013.
London Olympics will be held from July 27 to August 12 and Paralympics from August 29 to September 9 in 2012.
The 11th edition of SAG was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in early 2010 while Nepal has principally agreed to host the 13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu.
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India Proposes Mid-Feb For Hosting South Asian Games
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