Birsa MunThe South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships have been postponed for the second time in seven months, ostensibly due to the delay in granting visas to the Pakistani contingent. The tournament was scheduled from May 3-5 at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, Ranchi, but is now expected to be held in the second or third week of June.
The tournament was originally scheduled for October 4-6, 2024, but was postponed a few weeks before the event.
“Reference to the Circular dated 4 April 2025 regarding South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships scheduled to be held from 3rd to 5th May 2025 at Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. In this regard, it is informed that the South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships 2025 have been postponed, and the new dates will be announced soon,” a letter signed by Athletics Federation of India (AFI) secretary Sandeep Mehta read.
The fourth edition of the SAAF Athletics Championships was expected to bring athletes from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives together in a three-day event. The team from Bhutan had already arrived in Ranchi and were training.
While there is no reason given for the postponement, The Indian Express has learnt that the postponement has been triggered by the delay in granting visas to Pakistani athletes. A list of 43 athletes, including reigning Olympic Javelin Champion Arshad Nadeem, was sent by Pakistan.
“There was a delay in the visa process of Pakistani athletes, and that is why the event has been postponed,” a source close to the development informed.
The event can’t be held after the first week of next month, as the elite athletes will be preparing for the Asian Athletics Championships beginning on May 27 in Gumi, South Korea.
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“There is no clarity on the new dates of the tournament, but the event will likely be pushed to the second or third week of June, depending on the clarity on the visas of Pakistani athletes,” the source added.
Apart from Arshad Nadeem, the fastest South Asian sprinter and Birmingham Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Yupun Abeykoon of Sri Lanka and 2022 Asian Games 400m bronze medallist Aruna Darshana of Sri Lanka have confirmed their participation for the event.
Earlier this month, the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium hosted the Indian Open Athletics Meet when there were complaints about the track and the venue.
“We didn’t have practice tracks during the Open Athletics, but a new one has been laid in the stadium. The issue of lighting has been fixed and the stadium is ready to host the event,” Madhukant Pathak, President of Jharkhand Athletics Association, said.