New Delhi: The recent thaw in the relations between New Delhi and Islamabad was today carried on to the sporting field with the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) announcing its support to India's bid to host the 2016 Olympics and the Asian Games in 2014.

A five-member delegation of the POA, which was in New Delhi to discuss about revival of sporting ties between the two countries, also announced staging of the first-ever Punjab Games later this year as part of the effort to normalise sporting relations.

"POA has always, even in the past, stood for India. It played a significant role in India winning the Commonwealth Games bid. We will now work together so that India gets the 2014 Asian Games and the 2016 Olympics," Muhammaed Latif Butt, POA secretary general, told reporters in New Delhi.

"After yesterday's torch relay, we hope India would now be able to fulfil the dream of their people and the people of the subcontinent by hosting the Olympics."

Butt, also a vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia, led the five-member delegation that included Munir Ahmed Dar, President of Pakistan Karate Association, Muhammed Nawaz Kasuri, President of Pakistan Tug-of-War Federation, S H Shah, President of Pakistan Table Tennis Federation and I H Khwaja, Secretary of Punjab Olympic Association.