Bilal Ahmed 
The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) is launching its official news and information for sports fans! The 35th National Games will now be held in Karachi from May 6-16, whereas Lahore will witness the very first National Youth Games from September 7-13.
The decision was made during the POA Executive Committee meeting, headed by POA President Arif Saeed, to support young athletes to compete in international competitions like the Asian Youth Games and the Youth Olympics.
National Games: A Platform for the Top Athletes
- 26 sports for men and 23 for women will be featured.
- The POA Sports Commission is considering six more sports.
National Youth Games: A Platform for Future Champions
- Open to athletes aged 14-17.
- Grooming young talent for the international arena.
To further develop youth sports, POA president Arif Saeed will present a proposal to the government for increased support in training young athletes. The POA also envisages offering direction on registration, scholarships, and training programs through regional Olympic associations.
Pakistan to Host Two Major International Events
- The 14th South Asian Games, January 2026.
- The King’s Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Karachi.
Additionally, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, has been appointed as Chef de Mission for the Bahrain 2025 Asian Youth Games.
Problems of the Sports System in Pakistan
While these positive moves and offers for upcoming international sporting events and National Youth Games establish new milestones, the POA-government-national sports federations conflict is the main motivation for the slow progress. The differences in priorities regarding the national sporting policy issued in 2005 are affecting the total sports development of the country.
Amongst these, Pakistan, for example, has been taking key leaps into putting other programs, such as the National Youth Games, and hosting international events.
towards further development of the sports sector in the country benefiting youth.
