Since the 2009 attack, much of the international sporting community has refused to travel to Pakistan for matches of any kind, forcing Pakistani teams to play their “home” games in the neutral United Arab Emirates. Pakistan was also stripped of its co-hosting title for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, which will now be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Because of the success of the National Games, chief organizer of the Games and provincial Sports Minster Aqil Shah has spoken out, urging other countries to rethink their decision to not travel to Pakistan. The Games were held in Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan. Aqil Shah pointed out that if a large national sporting event can be held in KPK than he is certain that they could successfully hold an international event in more peaceful areas of the country. The Pakistan Olympic Association is also thrilled about the success of the Games, as a representative stated that they have already been in talks with other countries about the success of the Games and the possibility of the international sports community’s return to Pakistan.
The Pakistan Army was the big winner at the Games, securing 219 medals to defend their title from the 30th National Games. The hosting team, KPK, received 26 medals and came in a respectable seventh place in the team rankings. Overall, the event was a huge success for the country, being the largest contest in terms of participants in the Games history, and being held peacefully in a country that has seen its fair share of violence as of late. We wish the best to Pakistan in their fight for peace and hope that the international sporting community can soon find a safe home in Pakistan.
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