Summary Pakistan’s 54th National Athletics Championship in Karachi has been postponed due to severe heat, with new dates set for October or November this year.
KARACHI (Dunya News) – The 54th National Athletics Championship has been postponed due to intense heat conditions in Karachi, with organisers citing athlete safety concerns amid rising temperatures in the city.
The decision has shifted the event, which was originally scheduled from May 14 to May 17, to a new window in October or November this year, and it will still be held in Karachi.
The championship, which was set to take place at the NED Sports Complex, was expected to run as a four-day competition featuring a comprehensive programme of events. The national federation has officially issued a notification confirming the postponement, bringing clarity to participating teams and officials across the country.
According to the original plan, the championship was to include a total of 50 athletic events, structured across men’s, women’s, and mixed categories. The men’s segment comprised 23 events, while the women’s category included 25 events, alongside two mixed competitions designed to encourage broader participation formats within the national athletics framework.
The scale of participation highlighted the significance of the event, with around 500 athletes anticipated to compete from across Pakistan. In addition, approximately 300 officials were expected to oversee the competitions, including technical staff, referees, and administrative personnel responsible for managing the four-day schedule.
The decision to postpone the championship comes in response to prolonged periods of high temperatures in Karachi, which have raised concerns over endurance-based outdoor sporting activities. Organisers have opted to relocate the event timeline to the cooler months of the year, ensuring more favourable conditions for performance and safety when the championship resumes later in October or November.
