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Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
South Asian Athletics C'ships (SAAF) postponed for the second time
Birsa MunThe South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships have been postponed for the second time in seven months, ostensibly due to the delay in granting visas to the Pakistani contingent. The tournament was scheduled from May 3-5 at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, Ranchi, but is now expected to be held in the second or third week of June. The tournament was originally scheduled for October 4-6, 2024, but was postponed a few weeks before the event. 'Reference to the Circular dated 4 April 2025 regarding South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships scheduled to be held from 3rd to 5th May 2025 at Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. In this regard, it is informed that the South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships 2025 have been postponed, and the new dates will be announced soon,' a letter signed by Athletics Federation of India (AFI) secretary Sandeep Mehta read. The fourth edition of the SAAF Athletics Championships was expected to bring athletes from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives together in a three-day event. The team from Bhutan had already arrived in Ranchi and were training. While there is no reason given for the postponement, The Indian Express has learnt that the postponement has been triggered by the delay in granting visas to Pakistani athletes. A list of 43 athletes, including reigning Olympic Javelin Champion Arshad Nadeem, was sent by Pakistan. 'There was a delay in the visa process of Pakistani athletes, and that is why the event has been postponed,' a source close to the development informed. The event can't be held after the first week of next month, as the elite athletes will be preparing for the Asian Athletics Championships beginning on May 27 in Gumi, South Korea. 'There is no clarity on the new dates of the tournament, but the event will likely be pushed to the second or third week of June, depending on the clarity on the visas of Pakistani athletes,' the source added. Apart from Arshad Nadeem, the fastest South Asian sprinter and Birmingham Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Yupun Abeykoon of Sri Lanka and 2022 Asian Games 400m bronze medallist Aruna Darshana of Sri Lanka have confirmed their participation for the event. Earlier this month, the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium hosted the Indian Open Athletics Meet when there were complaints about the track and the venue. 'We didn't have practice tracks during the Open Athletics, but a new one has been laid in the stadium. The issue of lighting has been fixed and the stadium is ready to host the event,' Madhukant Pathak, President of Jharkhand Athletics Association, said.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
South Asian Athletics C'ships in Ranchi postponed
Kolkata: The South Asian Senior Athletics Championships that was scheduled to be held in Ranchi from May 3-5 has been postponed. The event that was supposed to see athletes from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives compete against each other in the three-day event will likely now to be held in the second week of June after the completion of Asian Athletics Championships. The fourth edition of the tournament was already postponed by Athletics Federation of India (AFI) once last year when it was scheduled for October 4-6, 2024, in Ranchi. The new dates are likely to be announced after further discussions in a meeting later this week. While no reason for postponement has been officially given, sources believe it is because the athletes from Pakistan were yet to get their visa. Early this month Pakistan had sent a list of 43 athletes, including that of Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem , for the event. Meanwhile, the news of postponement was made official in a letter dated April 22 by AFI secretary Sandeep Mehta. He wrote to the member federations of South Asian Athletics Federation stating, "Reference to the Circular dated 4 April, 2025, regarding South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships scheduled to be held from 3rd to 5th May 2025 at Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. In this regard, it is informed that the South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships 2025 have been postponed and the new dates will be announced soon." Although the tournament, which was last held in 2008, has been postponed for a second time, one hopes that the tournament will be held this year itself as planned and the people of Ranchi will get to see some of the best athletes of South Asia compete in front of their eyes. Besides Nadeem, according to Sri Lankan media, Birmingham Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and South Asia's fastest sprinter Yupun Abeykoon was also supposed to take part in the tournament. On a positive note, the postponement will help the organising committee make better arrangements for the 'D' category meet that carries crucial points for the 2025 World Rankings . The Birsa Munda Stadium hosted the Indian Open Athletics meet on April 10 and many of the athletes weren't too happy with the arrangement. Moreover, after a storm hit the city in the evening, the lights of the stadium kept going off multiple times and as a result the men's and women's javelin finals that saw the likes of upcoming star Sachin Yadav take part, was a start and stop affair.
