PM to inaugurate South Asian Games on Feb 5 in Guwahati

Touted as the biggest multi-sporting event in the SAARC region, the 12th South Asian Games beginning in Guwahati on February 5 will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of a host of dignitaries from India and neighbouring countries.
Modi will declare the Games open during the inaugural ceremony at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium at Sarusajai Sports Complex on February 5 in the presence of the athletes from eight participating countries, ministers and diplomats from the SAARC region.
"The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been kind enough and he has confirmed that he will inaugurate the Games at the opening ceremony on February 5," Sports Secretary Rajiv Yadav told reporters at a media briefing on the Games here.

Yadav also said Pakistan has dropped the idea of coming with their 450-strong contingent (including the officials) in one go in a chartered flight from Islamabad and they will now come in batches, entering India in New Delhi.
Pakistanis are allowed to enter India by air only in New Delhi and Mumbai unless special permission is granted to do otherwise.
"Pakistan had earlier told us they will come by chartered flights directly to Guwahati with all their contingent coming in one go and we have even agreed to that. But now they have changed their plans," he said.

"If all of them are coming in one go, Pakistan Olympic Association will have to give USD 30 per day to all their athletes. The events of many of them will end early or start in the later part of the Games.

"So, they are now coming in batches and they will arrive in India just like any other country's athletes. Pakistani contingent will land in New Delhi from their country and then they will take Indian flights to Guwahati," he added.
Yadav said all the participating athletes and officials
will be given Non Passport Visa (NPV) and they will not need
visas to reach India.
India is hosting the regional multi-sporting event for the third time and this edition will see more than 2000 athletes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives, besides hosts India vying for top honours.

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Yadav said the central government ministers from the participating countries, including India, and High Commissioner of Pakistan to India will be present during the opening ceremony in Guwahati.
"Central ministers from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Maldives have confirmed themselves for the opening ceremony while Pakistan will be represented by their sports board director general and High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit," he said.
"The chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya will be there. We are expecting members of theb Union cabinet during the opening ceremony but that will be confirmed later," he added.
The Games, being organised under the aegis of South Asian Olympic Council, have returned to India after Kolkata (1987) and Chennai (1995) and this is the biggest in terms of athletes' participation and number of disciplines though it was delayed by four years.

The SAG is the biggest sporting
spectacle ever held in
the northeastern part of the country.
India were to host the biennial Games after the 2010 edition in Bangladesh but the event got delayed due to various reasons. It was first postponed due to the Delhi Assembly elections in 2012 and then held back further due to the suspension of Indian Olympic Association by the International Olympic Committee from December 2012 to February 2014.
The 12th SAG will have 228 events and will be competed among around 2500 athletes. There will be 228 gold medals on offer, 228 silver and 308 bronze.

India are feilding more than 500 athletes, the biggest among the eight participating countries, while Sri Lanka and Pakistan are sending more than 400 athletes.
Giving details of the Games, the sports secretary said that budget has been kept low and the government has been very stringent in spending in view of the 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption scandal.
"The budget of the South Asian Games is even lower than the National Games. It is true that we did not need to spend much
on the infrastructure but in view of the CWG scandal the sports minister has been very particular in spending," he said.

"In the last National Games (in Kerala), we had spent Rs 400 crore for infrastructure and here in the SAG we have spent Rs 60 crore on this. It is not that we have not built anything afresh. We have built a new squash facility in Guwahati and also a new astroturf pitch from Holland has been laid at the
hockey stadium.
Regarding the spending on the security aspect of the
Games, he said, "The government of India has given the state government Rs 60 crore for use on security and Rs 7 crore to Meghalaya government.
Yadav said that the SAG are 'Gender Equal Games' with each of the 23 disciplines having men's and women's events. He also said that the participating teams have sent huge number of women athletes comparable to their men counterparts.

"Till yesterday, the number of athletes and contingents confirmed has been 3,333 whereas our expectation is around 3,500. All the countries have sent strong women contingents. Out of around 2500 athletes confirmed so far, more than 1000 are women. Nepal has more women than men among their athletes," he said.
"India, Sri Lanka and Nepal are participating in all the 23 disciplines. Another aspect is these Games will see both men's and women's events in all the 23 disciplines. So the SAG is the Gender Equal Games," he added.
The sports secretary said that the culture of the Northeast region will be showcased during the opening ceremony in Guwahati while the 'oneness' of South Asia will also be given prominent place.

Asked if Bollywood actors will perform during the opening ceremony in Guwahati, Yadav said, "It may not be Bollywood actors but there will be artists who may be connected with Bollywood. Artists who are well known in Northeast India will perform during the opening ceremony like singer Zubeen Garg and Shillong Orchestra.
"We have also brought the waters from eight rivers (a lake in case of Maldives) of the SAARC countries and we will mix the waters during the opening ceremony to drive home that South Asia is one.
"The waters were brought from Kabul River (Afghanistan), Sindhu or Indus (Pakistan), Brahmaputra (India), Kosi (Nepal), Padma (Bangladesh), Mahaweli River (Sri Lanka) and a lake in Maldives (as there is no river there)," he said.

Asked about the Ministry circular to National Sports Federations to ensure top teams and individual athletes in the Indian contingent, he said, "It is a case of abundant caution. If India does not do well in the SAG there will be hue and cry that we can't do well even at these Games. We know there is international and domestic events happening and we have asked for fielding balanced teams.