LAHORE The 71st Punjab Games, which were scheduled to be held from October 24 to 26, have been postponed and will now be held in December most probably. It has been learnt that although sponsor Samsung joined hands with the Punjab Olympics Association to hold the games, but a major share of the expenses (nearly Rs 150 million) was to come from the Punjab government. The participating divisions and districts are spending nearly Rs 80,000 each in the Games, which were already delayed. Sources in the Punjab sports secretariat say that when the government is spending major share of money, what role the sponsors and other stake holders are playing. However, an official of the PbOA said that no decision has yet been taken about the postponement of the games and the final decision will be taken after a meeting with the Chief Minister Mian Shanbaz Sharif. But secretary sports, while talking to this scribe, clearly stated that the Games have been postponed and most likely would be held December. He said that the damage caused by the flood was too massive for Punjab administration to bear and certain divisional and district teams were reluctant to participate. He further said that government resources to be utilised for the holding of the games are not available for the moment. The secretary sports said that the divisions and districts also require money to participate and the funds needed for their participation would also be generated by the government. In that circumstances when the government machinery is busy in the relief work, it is almost impossible to hold the games. He further stated due to security reasons, especially when eight to 10 venues are needed for different disciplines, it becomes very difficult to provide proper security cover to the participants. Out of the 26 events planned during the 71st Samsung Punjab Olympics, 18 events are slated for boys and eight for girls. Nearly 5000 athletes from eight different zones of Punjab will be participating in the games. The Punjab Games have been held regularly for over seven decades now. With the passage of time, the Games have evolved into a healthy social event and a provincial festival where hundreds of sports enthusiasts converge annually to demonstrate their talent.