NATIONAL 2 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Shadow Of Uncertainty

As the focus of the United States, bent on retaliating against terrorists, will be on South Asia in the coming weeks, the Ninth SAF Games set to be held in Pakistan is under a cloud of uncertainty

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

US President George W. Bush has declared war on international terrorism following the heinous kamikaze attacks on the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC that took thousands of innocent lives.

The ripples of the deadliest terrorist attack ever have touched every sphere of modern civilization. With the prime suspect, Osama bin Laden, perched deep inside the mountains of Afghanistan, South Asia has suddenly come into sharp international focus.

Thousands of Afghans are fleeing their country fearing US military strikes. Already the Pakistani government, showing solidarity with the United States, has issued an ultimatum to the Taleban leaders of Afghanistan, who are providing sanctuary to bin Laden, to hand him over. Pakistan shares its western border with Afghanistan and it is among the three nations that recognize the Taleban regime in Kabul.

The United States has minced no words in warning of fierce military action against both the terrorists as well as those who harbor them. The clouds of war are slowly building above the Afghan sky. The Ninth South Asian Federation Games (SAFG) scheduled to take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, from October 6 to 15, too, seem uncertain.

Reports in the Indian media suggest that the Indian side may decide against participating in the games for security reasons. The Indian government has already suspended the Afro-Asian Games set to be held in Delhi next month, citing security reasons arising from the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

In case the Indian side refuses to take part in the SAFG, the games would have to be postponed. The games is held every two years and is participated by all seven members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

"As yet, we have not heard anything officially from the organizing committee on the cancellation or the postponement of the 9th SAFG," said Ramesh Khanal, spokesman at the National Sports Council (NSC).

Recently, New Zealand cancelled its cricket tour to Pakistan apparently for security reasons. Many believe the US military may use Pakistan as its base to launch strikes against Afghanistan in case the Taleban regime refuses to deliver bin Laden to the United States soon.

"Because we have not heard any official word regarding this, we are fully immersed in the preparations for the games," said Khanal. Nepal is taking part in all the 14 disciplines in the games.

The games that will be played in Pakistan include athletics, boxing, football, kabaddi, karate, shooting, swimming, table-tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weight-lifting, wrestling, badminton and squash. The Nepalese athletes, according to Khanal, are currently in close-camp training. Some players have been sent abroad for training. Taekwondo players are in Bangkok learning the final kicks, whereas karate players are in Iran for the same purpose. Boxers are in Pakistan sharpening their punches.

Nepal is sending 213-member strong delegation, including 157 athletes, to the Islamabad games. The government has already sanctioned the budget for the participation. The NSC estimates that it will spend a total of Rs 36.6 million for participating in the games.

"We expect to rope in as many medals as we did in the last 8th SAF Games," said Khanal. Nepal had bagged 31 gold medals, standing second in the medal tally behind India in the 8th SAF Games held in Kathmandu in 1999.

As many as 28 of the 31 golds that Nepal won last time came from two disciplines of martial arts — karate and taekwondo — with female athletes chipping in with the bounty. Boxing and swimming had roped in the remaining three gold medals.

But this year, apart from losing the home advantage, Nepalese sports officials will face a reduced medal tally in martial arts — the mainstay of Nepalese sports in the region. In Islamabad SAF, the women karate discipline has been withdrawn. In taekwondo, too, only three weight discipline will be held for women.

On the brighter side, Khanal rejoices at the fact that the athletes selected in the martial arts disciplines this year include many new faces. "The development of martial arts has seeped into the grassroots level in the

country. There are so many good athletes to choose from, always," he said.

But all that could be meaningless if the games are cancelled. Although there is no official word yet, the fate of the Ninth SAF Games remains uncertain with the clouds of war hovering in the region.