KARACHI: While citing security concerns Punjab and Balochistan withdrew from participating in the All Pakistan NWFP Governor Gold Cup Swimming Championship, which will commence at the Aadil Khan swimming pool Qayyum Sports Complex in Peshawar today (Saturday).

The organising secretary of the event Muhammad Asif Orakzai told ‘The News’ from Peshawar on Friday that both Punjab and Balochistan withdrew at the eleventh hour due to security fears, saying there is no such security risk to the capital city of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the way they declined to add thrill to the championship is really discouraging.

He said after the withdrawal of Punjab and Balochistan, now four teams including Sindh, the hosts NWFP, Islamabad and the fresh inclusion FATA will field their swimmers in the different events of Under12, Under14 and Under16.

He said fifteen events including 200m freestyle (Under 16), 100m freestyle (Under 14), 100m butterfly (Under12), 100m backstroke (Under 16), 50m backstroke (Under-14), 4x100m freestyle (Under 16), 400m freestyle (Under 14), 40 m Individual Medley (Under14), 200m backstroke (Under14), 100m backstroke (Under12), 100m breaststroke (Under 12), 200m freestyle (Under12), 100m butterfly (Under14), 100m backstroke (Under16) and 4x100m IM (Under14) will be held today (Saturday).