The South Asia Olympic Council has decided to host the 14th South Asian Games from January 23 to 31 next year in Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad.

The decision was taken at an executive committee meeting of the council in Lahore on Tuesday.

Chaired by Mr. Arif Saeed, President SAOC and National Olympic Committee (NOC) Pakistan, the meeting reinforced the collective commitment of South Asian NOCs to fostering regional sports development and strengthening cooperation through sports, a press release from the council said. The discussions highlighted how the region's athletes, Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra, brought South Asia into the global spotlight at Paris 2024 by winning medals in javelin throw — an achievement that not only inspired the youth of the subcontinent but also underscored the power of sports in promoting peace, unity, and shared aspirations across borders, the press release added.

The meeting was attended by all seven nations of South Asia including Bangladesh, who were represented by Ashiqur Rahman Miku and Suraj Uddin Mohammad Alamgir.

The last edition of the South Asian Games was held in Nepal in 2019.

The schedule of the 14th edition has been deferred a number of times due to political tension between India and Pakistan.