India will send a 400-member contingent for the thrice-postponed South Asian Federation (SAF) Games in Pakistan next month, the country's top Olympic official said here on Friday.
"India will take part in all the 15 disciplines of the Games to be held in Islamabad from March 29 to April 7," Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi told reporters.
"A delegation led by the IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh visited Pakistan and came back satisfied with the security arrangements, so we plan to send a huge contingent," he said.
The regional Games, also featuring Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives, were to be held in October 2001 but had to be postponed due to security concerns after the September 11 attacks.
They were then rescheduled for March 2002, but were again put off due to tensions between Pakistan and India and then Pakistan was forced to cancel the event due to the war in Iraq last year.
Kalmadi also announced an annual competition between athletes from the Punjab states of India and Pakistan.
"We will host the first edition of the 'Combined Punjab Games' in Patiala in December," said Kalmadi.
"The competition will be held in 10 disciplines - athletics, swimming, hockey, volleyball, basketball, kabaddi, cycling, weightlifting, shooting, wrestling and tug-of-war."
Punjab was split during the 1947 partition of India, with a sizeable portion going to Pakistan.
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