There have been signs for some time that the upcoming South Asian Games (SA Games), scheduled to take place in Pakistan in January, may not occur as planned. The Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) had been seeking clear information about the event’s organisation but had not received any definitive answers until recently. Pakistan’s silence led to growing speculation that the Games would be delayed further.
This speculation has now been confirmed. During a meeting of the South Asian Olympic Council at the third Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, Pakistan officially announced that it would not be able to host the SA Games in January 2026. They further stated that formal notification will be sent to all member countries by November 30.
As of now, the new date for the 14th SA Games is uncertain. During the meeting, Pakistan suggested they could host the event in November 2027. In response, Brigadier General (ret.) ABM Shafoul Kabir, the BOA’s Director General, told Prothom Alo from Saudi Arabia: “We have informed the federations of the information shared by Pakistan. The organising committee will provide us with a final decision by November 30, 2025. Once we receive it, we will inform the relevant federations.”
The last SA Games took place in December 2019. Bangladesh had already begun preparations to compete in 26 sports but had to scale back due to uncertainty and a lack of funding from the National Sports Council. As a result, several federations, including Kabaddi, Table Tennis, Badminton, Wushu, and Wrestling, have suspended their training camps.
Other federations are expected to follow suit, much to the disappointment of athletes. Former national sprinter Mohammad Ismail expressed his frustration, saying, “Many athletes’ careers will be over within two years. Some are ageing, and may not remain fit by November 2027. The current athletes were eagerly waiting for these Games, and now their hopes have been dashed.”
This year’s focus for the Bangladesh Athletics team was on performing well in the relay event, and Ismail added, “We are very disappointed that the Games have been postponed by two years. It may be better to move the event to another country for the sake of the athletes.”
Romana Akter, the top female swimmer in Bangladesh at the recent National Swimming Championships, also shared her dismay. Swimmers had been eagerly anticipating the SA Games, and Romana stated, “Bangladeshi athletes always look forward to the SA Games. If it doesn’t happen now, it will be a huge setback for them. However, our camp hasn’t been shut down yet, and it’s still ongoing. If it does close, everyone will have to return to their respective clubs.”