South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships 2025 Postponed Again

The South Asian Senior Athletics Championships 2025, originally scheduled for May 3–5 in Ranchi, Jharkhand, have been postponed for the second time in seven months. Initially planned for October 2024, the delay this time has reportedly been due to visa clearance issues involving Pakistani athletes. The event was expected to host top athletes from across South Asia, including Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and top Sri Lankan athletes. The new tentative window for the competition is now the second or third week of June 2025, subject to visa resolution.

Key Highlights

Timeline

• Event Name: South Asian (SAAF) Senior Athletics Championships 2025
• Original Date: October 4–6, 2024
• Rescheduled Date (1st): May 3–5, 2025
• Postponed Again: In April 2025
• Expected New Dates: Second or third week of June 2025
• Venue: Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium, Ranchi, Jharkhand

Participating Countries

1. India
2. Pakistan
3. Sri Lanka
4. Bangladesh
5. Nepal
6. Bhutan
7. Maldives

Athletes to Watch

• Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan) – Olympic Javelin Champion
• Yupun Abeykoon (Sri Lanka) – Fastest South Asian sprinter; Commonwealth Games bronze medallist
• Aruna Darshana (Sri Lanka) – 400m bronze medallist, 2022 Asian Games

Reason for Postponement

• No official reason was provided publicly.
• However, sources confirmed the delay in issuing visas to Pakistani athletes, including a 43-member team, as the key reason.
• The event cannot be delayed beyond early May due to upcoming Asian Athletics Championships (starting May 27 in Gumi, South Korea).