Kathmandu: As Pakistan is set to host the 14th edition of the South Asian Games (SAG) from April 3 to 11 next year, the participation of its adversarial neighbour India in the subcontinental sports extravaganza is in doubt.

Nepal Olympic Committee president Jeevan Ram Shrestha, however, said at a press conference on Wednesday that India has not ruled out its participation in Pakistan and that ‘he was assured’ of the South Asian giant’s involvement in the biennially scheduled event, which is taking place after almost eight years.

Shrestha, also the coordinator of the newly formed South Asian Olympic Council (SAOC) Coordination Committee, however, did not clearly answer whether India’s participation was guaranteed despite being repeatedly questioned about the issue.

“As of now, they have not said they would not participate, and if there is no adverse geopolitical situation by April, they would participate,” Shrestha said.

Interestingly, Indian delegates did not physically attend the SAOC meeting held a few days ago in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. Instead, Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha joined the meeting virtually.

India and Pakistan have largely remained sporting estranged neighbours, with bilateral sporting exchanges frozen for more than a decade, despite their athletes continuing to meet in multinational competitions in third countries.

In the latest episode of the sporting standoff, Pakistan initially refused to play India at the 2026 T20 World Cup but later agreed to the fixture, which was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Indian Olympic Association has also not mentioned anything about the upcoming SAG, either on its website or on its official social media pages.

India and Pakistan have fought four major wars since their independence in 1947, with their latest military confrontation taking place in May 2025.

Will the SAG Take Place Without India?

Since the inception of the Games in 1984, all seven member associations of the SAG —Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have never missed a single edition of the multidisciplinary competition.

But since India’s participation in the upcoming Games is still ‘uncertain,’ the major question is: will the Games take place as planned without an Indian contingent?

“The South Asian Olympic Council statute remains mum about it. But the Games have featured all seven countries in all 13 previous editions so far,” said Shrestha.

He further added: “The Pakistan government has assured us not to doubt their intentions and commitment to hold the Games as scheduled, and we are optimistic about India’s participation as of now.”

India has historically remained the undisputed champion of the SAG since its inception, having secured the top finish in all 13 previous editions. Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal have shared the runner-up finishes among them.

Competition in 28 Sports for 346 Golds

The SAG will feature 28 sports, with 346 gold and silver medals up for grabs, along with 515 bronze medals.

Among the 28 sports, 25 will have both men’s and women’s events.

The Games will include athletics, aquatics, archery, badminton, basketball (3×3 and 5×5), billiards and snooker, boxing, cricket, fencing, football, golf, handball and beach handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, karate, rowing, rugby, shooting, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball and beach volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.

There will be no women’s events in billiards, hockey, rugby and beach volleyball.

3,172 Athletes in Preliminary List

According to the preliminary list, a total of 4,191 participants, including 3,172 athletes and 1,019 officials, are expected to take part in the 14th SAG.

Among them, Nepal is expected to have 532 athletes and 153 officials, host Pakistan will feature 670 athletes and 202 officials, Sri Lanka 670 athletes and 251 officials, Bangladesh 482 athletes and 122 officials, India 472 athletes and 202 officials, Maldives 261 athletes and 68 officials and Bhutan 85 athletes and 21 officials.

Games Across Three Cities

Capital city Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar will host different events of the Games. The opening ceremony will be held at the 50,000-capacity Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad.

Islamabad is scheduled to host athletics, badminton, basketball, snooker, football, kabaddi, karate, rowing, squash, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting, wushu and shooting.

Lahore will have competitions in boxing, cricket, fencing, golf, handball, hockey, rugby, swimming, taekwondo and wrestling while Peshawar will host archery, judo and volleyball.