The newly elected President of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), Arif Saeed on Monday, has called for the government’s support to host the South Asian Games 2025, scheduled to be held in Lahore from April 23 to May 7.
Arif, who was unanimously elected as the POA President earlier today, with Pakistan Boxing Federation’s president Khalid Mahmood as his secretary, spoke to the media and shared his vision for the future of sports in the country.
Arif also shed light over the upcoming South Asian Games and acknowledged the significant work and funding required for the tournament.
“A lot of work needs to be done for the South Asian Games and it requires a lot of capital,” said Arif.
"If Pakistan successfully hosts the South Asian Games, it will pave the way for organising larger international events in the future," he added.
The newly-elected POA president emphasised prioritising the core values of sports over administrative tasks.
"Our primary goal is to focus on ethics, sportsmanship, and fair play," he stated.
He further stressed that success does not come from achieving medals and instead achieved when merit and honesty are upheld.
Reflecting on the future of sports in Pakistan, he stated: "We will collaborate to determine the steps needed to achieve success for our athletes and the overall progress of sports in Pakistan."
It is pertinent to mention that the Government of Sindh has also approved the National Games, with the dates expected to be finalised between April and May.
Earlier, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) announced a significant increase in the prize money for athletes who secure medals in major international events.
In a landmark decision, aimed at encouraging and rewarding athletic excellence, the PSB issued a notification detailing the revised cash awards for medalists.
Gold medalists in the Summer, Winter, and Paralympic Games will now receive a generous prize of PKR 10 million.
Silver medal winners in the Olympics will earn PKR 7.5 million, while bronze medalists will be awarded PKR 5 million.
For the Asian Games, gold medalists will receive PKR 7.5 million, silver medalists PKR 5 million, and bronze medalists PKR 3 million.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games gold medalists will take home PKR 5 million, with silver and bronze medalists receiving PKR 3 million and PKR 2 million, respectively.
In the Special Olympics World Games, athletes winning gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded PKR 500,000, PKR 300,000, and PKR 200,000, respectively.
In addition to the cash awards, all medalists will be issued Gold Cards, granting them access to the facilities of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and its coaching centers.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.
