The South Asian Federation Games will be called the South Asian Games from its tenth edition in Colombo, Sri Lanka, next year.

The decision to this effect was taken at the 32nd meeting of the South Asian Sports Federations in Islamabad on Thursday evening.

"The event in Sri Lanka will be held as the 10th South Asian Games, with judo and archery, plus two optional sports to be added to the current 15 disciplines," Lt. Gen. Syed Arif Hasan, chairman of the ninth SAF Games Organising Committee, said.

"The name was changed because the word federation in SAF stopped short of putting proper emphasis on the event," he told newspersons.

Hasan said  the South Asian Sports Federation too has been renamed as the South Asian Olympic Council.

The executive meeting also identified athletics and swimming as mandatory disciplines to be held along with optional events that include football, shooting, weightlifting, badminton, boxing, rowing, table tennis, volleyball, squash, taekwondo, kabaddi, wrestling and karate.