India-Pakistan Punjab games unlikely for now

Chandigarh -- The India-Pakistan Punjab Games have been put off yet again.

The second edition of the games were scheduled first to be held in November last year in Lahore and other places in Pakistan's Punjab province, and re-scheduled twice since.

The games had been finalised for November this year. Punjab's director-sports and former hockey Olympian Pargat Singh told IANS that the games were not going to be held for the time being.

The reason being attributed is that players on both sides were practising for the Asian Games at Doha in December.

The first edition of the games was held in Indian Punjab in December 2004 at the height of the bonhomie between once-warring neighbours.

It was the biggest sporting event between both countries - involving players from Punjab states on both sides - since the bloody partition of India and creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his Pakistan Punjab counterpart Pervaiz Elahi took credit for the historical games.

The second edition was to be held a year later in Pakistan's Punjab province, especially its capital Lahore, in November 2005, but was postponed following the Oct 8 devastating quake that hit Pakistan and India's Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistani authorities said then that they were too tied up with relief operations and it was not advisable to hold the games when Pakistan was mourning the death of thousands of earthquake victims.

The games were re-scheduled for February-March this year, but were again postponed by the Pakistan Punjab side saying it was harvesting season and the games could not be held.

Punjab's chief parliamentary secretary for sports Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi made two trips to Pakistan to finalise the holding of the games. Both sides agreed to the October-November 2006 dates.

Now, that too has been called off due to the upcoming Asian Games.

Sports department officials say the games are unlikely to be held before the end of 2007.

With assembly polls in Indian Punjab scheduled for February-March next year, political bosses here seem to be in no mood for the jinxed games - at least for now.