The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) has changed the date of the 54th National Athletics Championship officially. The event was initially scheduled to start in early May but has been postponed by a week in order to make it a smoother event and a full regional sports calendar.
With Karachi on the verge of hosting the most talented track and field athletes in the country, this is all you need to know about the new schedule and the plan of how to address the issue of summer heat in the city.
54th National Athletics Championship 2026 New Dates
After being requested to do so by Sindh Athletics, the AFP resolved to relocate the championship to prevent a head-on collision with the Sindh Pink Games, which was to roll out on May 7. Having the calendars in sync, sports officials are hopeful that they can maximise the attendance and the athletes will not be forced to make a choice between the two huge events.
Dates for the 54th National Athletics Championship in Karachi have been revised, with the Athletics Federation of Pakistan pushing the event by a week on Sindh Athletics’ request.
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) April 11, 2026
The championship will now be held from May 14–17 instead of May 7–10, due to a clash with the Sindh…
54th National Athletics Championship 2026 Revised Event Timeline
| Event Phase | Original Dates | Rescheduled Dates |
| National Championship | May 7 – May 10, 2026 | May 14 – May 17, 2026 |
54th National Athletics Championship 2026 Venues
The weather in Karachi is infamously hot in mid-May. The organizers have also implemented a strategic timing repositioning to ensure that the safety and performance of athletes are prioritized.
Venues: The competitions will be divided into NED University and the Naval Sports Complex.
Nighttime Competitions: On the one hand, it will be the first time when various high-intensity events will be organized at night. The purpose of this change will be to avoid the hottest afternoon hours so that the athletes have to compete under the cooler weather conditions and achieve their maximum potential.
Significance of the 54th National Athletics Championship 2026
The most important event in domestic Pakistan track and field is the National Athletics Championship. It is an essential platform of:
Departmental Powerhouses: WAPDA, Army, Navy and Air Force teams will fight over who will be the best.
Provincial Talent: The rise of stars of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, and KP have an opportunity of displaying their talent at the national level.
National Selection: This is usually the key event that determines the list of participants in any upcoming international event, and thus a must-watch event to the scouts and coaches.
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