The origin of South Asian Games

Countdown to the South Asian Games with Dinesh Weerawansa

SA GAMES: We are only 28 days away from the commencement of the 10th South Asian Games, to be hosted by Sri Lanka. The eight-nation South Asian Olympic extravaganza will be the biggest ever multi-sport event to be hosted by Sri Lanka.

Through this countdown series, the 'Daily News' will have a closer look at the South Asian Games, its history, local preparations and our medal prospects.

The South Asian Olympic family was born in 1983 due to keen interest shown by regional NOC leaders. It was the regional body of the South Asian Countries that made way for a multi-sport event of this magnitude.

With the seven countries in the region forming the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), the area of sports too was discussed at length.

With the intention of promoting sports activities in the region, the seven SAARC countries join hands to give birth to the South Asian Sports Federation (SASF) in 1983 and on the following year, they were able to organise the first ever South Asian Games in Nepal.

During the IOC Congress in Germany, 1981, Olympic representatives from Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan had an informal discussion to make a feasibility study to build a regional sports forum. The representatives agreed to form a sports body for South Asian region - SASF, in consultation with the other member countries of SAARC.

The NOC representatives of the seven SAARC member countries met in New Delhi on November 26, 1981.

They decided to have a separate sporting event for South Asia, on similar lines with the Asian Games.

They decided that each country should host the Games in alphabetical order, once in two years. They also decided to have separate sports events and tours amongst member countries on a regular basis.

Accordingly, the inaugural Games were planned for 1983, but Bangladesh could not host it due to unforeseen circumstances. With Nepal agreeing to become the inaugural hosts, the birth of the South Asian Games took place in Katmandu on September 17, 1984.

The first ever SAF Games, worked off from September 17 to 24, 1984. But the Games were then known as the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games, until the member countries decided to change it to South Asian Games only a couple of years back.

From the latest 10th edition, the Games will be known as South Asian Games with an added eighth member country - Afghanistan.