2013 South Asian Games

The 2013 South Asian Games, officially the XII South Asian Games, is an upcoming major multi-sport event, scheduled to take place in Delhi, India in February, 2013.. With this edition of the Games, India becomes the second country to host the Games three times (the previous editions being held in Kolkata in 1987 and Chennai in 1995), after Bangladesh. It is also the first time that Delhi will host the Games. The Games witnessed a change in the original host country, and faced delays which pushed back the conduct of the Games by several months.

Host change

Originally, as per tradition of bringing the Games to each and every country of South Asia, Bhutan was selected to host the 12th edition of the Games. However, at the 41st South Asian Olympic Council held at Dhaka in February 2010, Bhutan expressed its inability to host the Games. So, to replace Bhutan, Delhi stepped in as host of the Games. Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi officially received the SAG flag in Dhaka after the 11th edition of the Games drew to a close on February 9, 2010. Indian Olympic Association General Body postponed the event to 2013 because of logistical reasons. It was supposed to take place in October 2012] but postponed to February 2013.

The Sports Ministry of India said, in an official press statement, that Delhi had been chosen as host so that the sport infrastructure built for the 2010 Commonwealth Games remains in use.

Delay

Initially, the Games were expected to be held in October, 2012. However, during the General Body meeting of the Indian Olympic Association on December 16, 2011, it was decided to postpone the Games to February, 2013. The primary concern highlighted was that the original plan meant that the Games would be held only two moths after the 2012 Summer Olympics, a fact which made athletes uncomfortable. In addition, the Delhi Government had stated that "accommodation would be a problem during October-November".