Number of disciplines reduced to 12

NEW DELHI, AUG 13: India will field a contingent of 235 athletes, including 75 women, in the eighth South Asian Federation SAF Games to...

NEW DELHI, AUG 13: India will field a contingent of 235 athletes, including 75 women, in the eighth South Asian Federation SAF Games to be held at Kathmandu from September 25 to October 4. The men will participate in all the 12 disciplines, while the women will take part in seven.

The Games are being held after a year8217;s delay, as Nepal had earlier expressed their inability to get the infrastructure ready in time. Incidentally, Nepal had hosted the first edition of the Games in Kathmandu in 1984.

KN Kapur, India8217;s chef-de-mission for Kathmandu, told reporters today that the respective federations have been asked to submit their entries to the Indian Olympic Association IOA by August 16 to enable the apex body to meet the deadline of August 25 to send the full list to the organisers.

The Indian contingent will leave for Nepal in three batches 8212; on September 23, 24 and 26.

Competitions will be held in athletics men and women, boxing, football, kabaddi, karate-do men and women, shooting men and women, swimming men and women, table tennis men and women, taekwondo men and women, volleyball men and women, weightlifting and wrestling.

The number of events will be one less than at Chennai after the seven members 8212; India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives and hosts Nepal 8212; agreed to restrict the disciplines to 12.

Hockey, basketball, judo and tennis, which were part of the Chennai Games, have been removed, and karate and taekwondo included for the Games.

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All the eight venues are ready for the Games. The main venue 8212; Dasharatha Stadium 8212; will also stage the opening and closing ceremonies.

The camps for the Games, Kapur said, are on in Bangalore, Delhi, Patiala, Jaipur and Mumbai. The shooting and swimming camps are being held in Delhi, those for athletics, boxing and wrestling in Patiala, kabaddi in Jaipur, karate-do in Mumbai and football, taekwondo, volleyball and weightlifting in Bangalore.

India have dominated the SAF Games in a big way and they won 105 out of 142 gold medals at Chennai Games in 1995. Sri Lanka were at the second spot with 16 gold while Pakistan managed 10 gold medals.

SCHEDULE

Opening ceremony: Dasharatha Stadium 8211; September 25

Athletics: Dasharatha Stadium 8211; Sep 26-28; Sep 30-October 2

Boxing: Brikutimandap 8211; Sep 27-30

Football: Dasharatha Stadium 8211; Sep 26-Oct 4

Karate: Tripureshwer Hall 8211; Sep 26-28

Kabaddi: Sanogauchor Gyaneshwor 8211; Sep 27-30

Shooting: BIS Complex, Satdobate 8211; Sep 26-30

Swimming: BIS Complex, Satdobato 8211; sep 26-30

Table tennis: Lainchour Hall 8211; Sep 27-Oct 3

Taekwondo: Tripureshwor Hall 8211; Oct 2-4

Volleyball: Tripureshwor Hall 8211; Sep 28-Oct 2