ISLAMABAD, October 14, 2026: Pakistan has been entrusted with hosting the South Asian cross-country athletics event in 2028, while India will stage the South Asian Under-23 Athletics Championships in 2027, the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) announced on Wednesday.
The decisions were taken at the annual meeting of the South Asian Athletics Federation, held on October 14, with presidents and secretaries general of athletics federations from Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Pakistan, India and Nepal in attendance.
Maj Gen Muhammad Akram Sahi, chairman of the South Asian Athletics Federation, welcomed the participants and highlighted the region’s achievements at major international competitions, including the Paris Olympics, Asian Athletics Championships 2025 and World Athletics Ultimate Championships 2026.
He stressed the need to explore new opportunities for the development of athletes and coaches across South Asia. He also said Pakistan was looking forward to welcoming athletes from the region for the South Asian Games 2027, scheduled to be held in Islamabad.
Dr Lalit Kumar Bhanot, president of the South Asian Athletics Federation, highlighted the progress made by regional countries, particularly Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, at international athletics events. He also congratulated Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bhutan on fielding competitive teams at world and Asian-level competitions.
World Athletics Vice President Adel Summariwala attended the meeting as a special representative. He congratulated the participating countries on their performances and emphasised the need to turn participation in international competitions into medal-winning results at Asian and world levels.
The meeting also agreed to organise centralised coaching courses every year to familiarise athletics coaches across the region with modern training techniques and international best practices.
Participants further emphasised grassroots development and sustained efforts to strengthen athletics throughout South Asia.
Dates for the next elections of the South Asian Athletics Federation were also finalised, according to the AFP press release.
