Official Newsletter of the Olympic Council of Asia
And the winner is‌..
Chinese capital makes Olympic history Olympic Day in Asia SEA Games in Singapore
Edition 30 - September 2015
Contents
Inside your 32-page Sporting Asia
3
04-05
President’s Message New ANOC HQ
4 – 7
News Digest
4-5 IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur 6
Central Asia welcomes IOC President and Sheikh Ahmad
7
08-11
8 – 11
Rugby sevens on the Road to Rio Olympic Day in Asia
12 Inside the OCA 13-20
28th SEA GAMES – SINGAPORE 2015
13-20
14 –15
Overview, Medals Table
16 – 17
Stars of the Show
18 – 19 Inside Story 20 Singapore Scrapbook
22-23
21 – 24
GAMES UPDATE
21
5th Asian Beach Games 2016
22 – 23
18th Asian Games 2018
24
8th Asian Winter Games 2017
25 – 30 Six pages of NOC News and Sport
25-30 Page 02
31
Obituary
32
OCA Diary, Sponsors Club
Sporting Asia is the official newsletter of the Olympic Council of Asia, published quarterly. Executive Editor / Director General Husain Al Musallam husain@ocasia.org Art Director / IT Director Amer Elalami amer@ocasia.org Director, Int’l & NOC Relations Vinod Tiwari vinod@ocasia.org Director, Asian Games Department Haider A. Farman haider@ocasia.org Editor Jeremy Walker jeremy@ocasia.org Executive Secretary Nayaf Sraj nayaf@ocasia.org Olympic Council of Asia PO Box 6706, Hawalli Zip Code 32042 Kuwait Telephone: +965 22274277 - 88 Fax: +965 22274280 - 90 Email: info@ocasia.org Website: www.ocasia.org
Front cover: IOC President Thomas Bach announces the host city for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games during the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31. (Photo: www.olympic.org)
President’s Message
NEW OCA CYCLE WILL BRING FRESH CHALLENGES
O
nce again we have come to the end of another Olympic term for the OCA, since our Elective General Assembly in Tokyo in 2011.
We have achieved a lot in those four years, not only with the contribution of all 45 NOCs to the success of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, Korea, last year but also to the development of the sports movement throughout the continent. Our five multi-sport games continue to go from strength to strength, setting new benchmarks in sports innovation and presentation around the world, and we can look forward to building on this momentum in the next Olympic cycle through to 2019. Our 34th OCA General Assembly brings us to Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan, and gives the local NOC a taste of what to expect when they host the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in September 2017. Central Asia is booming in the Olympic sports movement, and the OCA Executive Board and General Assembly in Ashgabat on September 15-16 will give all the delegates the opportunity to witness at first-hand the impressive Olympic complex that is being built for the 5th AIMAG and beyond. As the next Elective General Assembly approaches, I would like to thank all the OCA committees for their hard work and their ideas and initiatives during the past four years. Your contribution has kept the OCA moving forwards, always looking to create the best environment for the athletes and the best conditions for our administrators and officials. The next four years will present new challenges, and I am confident that, with our experience and expertise, our unity and solidarity, we will be able to meet them.
Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah President, Olympic Council of Asia President, Association of National Olympic Committees Chairman, IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission Member, FIFA Executive Committee
ANOC’s ‘home away from home’ in Lausanne
S
heikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah presided over the inauguration of the new ANOC HQ in the Olympic capital Lausanne on June 8.
ANOC moved into the new headquarters at the end of last year.
In front of 250 guests from the Olympic movement, the ANOC President thanked the NOCs, the ANOC Executive Council, the International Federation Presidents and the city of Lausanne for their support of this project. “With 205 NOCs around the world it is very important that we have a headquarters that can serve as a home away from home for our members,” said Sheikh Ahmad. “This headquarters is fully equipped to host formal and informal meetings and provides the perfect base for ANOC to support its NOCs. Our doors are always open to all stakeholders in the Olympic family.”
The inauguration of the ANOC HQ on June 8.
Page 03
News Digest 128th IOC Session
Beijing – the Olympic city for all seasons
B
eijing made history at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31 when the Chinese capital became the first city to be awarded the Winter and Summer Games. After a final day of pleas and presentations from the two candidate cities, Beijing beat Almaty (Kazakhstan) 44-40 for the right to host the Winter Olympics in 2022 – 14 years after the Summer Games in 2008. “Today is a remarkable day for Beijing and for the Olympic Movement,” said Beijing Mayor and Bid President Wang Anshun. “It is a day that will go down in history when Beijing and Zhangjiakou were awarded the Olympic Winter Games in 2022. “This is the first time in Olympic history that the same city will host both the Summer and Winter Olympics. This is unprecedented in the 120-year history of the Olympic Movement.” Mayor Wang said the preparations, hosting and legacy of 2022 would expose some 300 million of China’s 1.3 billion population to winter sports, and described the Chinese people as “thrilled and overjoyed” to have won the vote. “We must work to deliver a risk-free, extraordinary,
fantastic and excellent Olympic Winter Games in 2022,” he concluded.
About the bid
B
eijing 2022 will involve three venue clusters and three Olympic Villages, connected by a highspeed rail network with a maximum journey of 50 minutes from Beijing to Zhangjiakou: Beijing Zone will host all the ice sports in five competition venues, including the National Aquatics Centre (Water Cube) for curling. The opening and closing ceremonies will be at the iconic Bird’s Nest. The one new venue will be the National Speed Skating Oval. Yanqing Zone will involve the newly built National Alpine Ski Centre and National Sliding Centre, aimed specifically for the development and promotion of winter sports. Zhangjiakou Zone will have five competition venues, including the Nordic Centre, Biathlon Centre and Genting Snow Park for freestyle skiing and snowboard. Proposed budget for investment in Olympic Villages, sports venues and other infrastructure: US$1.5 billion
Beijing 2022 officials erupt in joyous celebration at the IOC announcement.
Page 04
News Digest 128th IOC Session
OCA President says Asia is ready to deliver top-quality Olympics
T
he OCA President, HE Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, spoke with pride of the two Asian candidates bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Surrounded by media at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Sheikh Ahmad praised Almaty for pushing Beijing so close and personally congratulated the Kazakh Prime Minister, Karim Massimov, on the efforts of his team. Regarding Beijing’s success, Sheikh Ahmad said: “This adds value to the Olympic Movement and is part of the legacy because it will be the first time one city has hosted the Summer and Winter Olympics.
OCA Vice President Timothy Fok said the Winter Olympics in 2022 would not only expand winter sports in northern China but also spread the Olympic spirit throughout the nation. “We know that Beijing did a very good job in 2008. As well as delivering a perfect Games in 2022 it will also completely develop a new area with the focus on sustainability, contribute to sport and develop Olympic values in China.”
“China wants to give the chance to 300 million citizens to embrace winter sports, and is doing this not only because of the Games but because the government has made it part of the national development of their own country.” Beijing 2022 will follow PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020 as Olympic Games host, and Sheikh Ahmad said Asia was ready to impress the world. “I do not have any doubt that Asia will deliver all the Games in a very high standard,” he concluded
Sheikh Ahmad is interviewed at the KL Convention Centre.
IOC President praises ‘100 per cent’ success of KL Session OC President Thomas Bach wrapped up the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, August 3 by telling the Malaysian organisers: “You have succeeded 100 per cent.”
I
14 IOC members whose eight-year terms were coming to a close were re-elected for a further eight years, including Syed Shahid Ali (Pakistan), Rita Subowo (Indonesia) and Wu Ching-kuo (Chinese Taipei).
In presenting the IOC Trophy to the President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia and head of the organising committee, HRH Prince Tunku Imran, President Bach thanked the Malaysian hosts, staff and volunteers.
Gunilla Lindberg (Sweden) was re-elected to the IOC Executive Board for a second four-year term. Nenad Lalovic (Serbia, President of United World Wrestling) and Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye (President, Senegal NOC) were elected new IOC members.
“You have been here with us all the time and offered us your smile, hospitality and great organisational skills,” said President Bach. “We could feel your dedication and your work in making this a very special IOC Session.” Prince Tunku with the IOC Trophy
In other Session:
business
during
the
The IOC Session formally recognised the World Flying Disc Federation, which was established 30 years ago and is based in Germany with 62 affiliated National Federations from all five continents. The IOC fully recognised South Sudan - an independent state since 2011 - as the 206th member NOC. Page 05
News Digest IOC President BACH Visits Central AsiaN NOCS
T
he IOC President, Thomas Bach, made a three-stop tour of Central Asia in mid-June, accompanied by the OCA President, HE Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah. The tour began in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where the IOC President joined in Olympic Day celebrations at the Olympic Museum and saw demonstrations of fencing, gymnastics, taekwondo and karate, as well as traditional Uzbek combat sports. President Bach also visited the new NOC HQ, joined by NOC President Mirabror Usmanov, and described the building as “amongst the best facilities I have ever seen”.
Fencing fun in Tashkent.
Later, the IOC President met the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, and discussed the vital role of sport in education and the contribution of sport to international peace and development. The next stop was Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and a visit to the state President, Emomali Rahmon, who is also President of the NOC. President Bach and Sheikh Ahmad said they would strengthen their support to Tajik athletes. Guard of Honour in Dushanbe.
Later in the day, the IOC President visited the NOC HQ and newly refurbished medical facilities for the athletes. He also met boxer Mavzuna Chorieva, who became the first woman to win an Olympic medal for Tajikistan when she took bronze at London 2012. The final stop was Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, where the IOC President had talks with the Kyrgyz President, Almazbek Atambayev. Later the President went to the NOC HQ and met young athletes in the process of qualifying for the Rio Olympic Games. The President also met the new President of the NOC as well as the Secretary General, before attending a dinner with the country’s Prime Minister. Page 06
Meeting athletes in Bishkek.
News Digest SEBASTIAN COE ELECTED NEW IAAF PRESIDENT
B
ritish athletics great Sebastian Coe was elected as the sixth IAAF President at the 50th IAAF Congress in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, August 19.
The voting by the 207 member federations was: Sebastian Coe 115 votes, Sergey Bubka 92 votes. The former middle distance running star and head of the organising committee for the London 2012 Olympic Games said: "I am deeply honoured that our sport has placed its trust in me. There is no job I want to do more – nor with greater commitment." Among the first to congratulate Lord Coe were the current IAAF President Lamine Diack and Bubka, who was later elected as an IAAF Vice President. "We have a man who has devoted his life to the sport," commented President Diack. Bubka acknowledged: "I know that athletics in the future will grow, and become stronger and stronger."
Sebastian Coe is the new President of the International Association of Athletics Federation.
Coe will take office on August 31, after the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015.
Hong Kong and Tokyo to host Rio 2016 rugby sevens qualifiers
T
he Hong Kong Rugby Football Union marked Olympic Day on June 23 with the announcement that they will host the Asian rugby sevens qualifying tournament for Rio 2016 at Hong Kong Stadium on November 7-8. The tournament will be the sole Olympic qualification event for Asia's 12 premier men's teams and the first in a two-tournament qualification series for the women. The second qualification event for the eight women’s teams will be in Tokyo on November 28-29. The men’s sevens winner in Hong Kong will claim Asia's sole automatic slot amongst the 12 teams in Rio, where rugby sevens will make its much anticipated debut. The next three best ranked teams in the Asian qualifier will join a 16-team international repechage tournament to be held later in the year for the final spot in Rio. The top women’s team after the Hong Kong and Tokyo events will qualify for Rio. The next best three will enter a 16team international repechage for the final spot at Rio 2016. The HKRFU also announced an initiative to work with the
The press conference in Hong Kong to announce Asia’s rugby sevens qualifiers for Rio 2016.
Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China to help promote all “Team Hong Kong” athletes as they strive for Olympic qualification in their various sports. Men’s teams (12): China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand. Women’s teams (8): China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan. Page 07
Olympic Day in Asia
The fun starts here at Disneyland, Hong Kong.
Fighting fit in Bahrain.
Students from a school for deaf children were among 2,800 participants at Paro Dzongkhag, Bhutan.
Page 08
Olympic Day in Asia
Chinese Taipei NOC organised a run for the 28th consecutive year, on June 6.
The IOC President greets a young sports fan in Uzbekistan.
Olympic Day in Nepal ran from June 13-23 and included a cycle rally with 1,200 participants.
Page 09
Olympic Day in Asia
Flying the flag in China.
Sri Lanka NOC took the festivities to Mannar.
Page 10
Saudi Arabia NOC held a sports festival at King Abdullah Park.
Olympic Day in Asia
More than 2,000 people joined a family walk and other activities at Jurong East Sports Centre, Singapore, on July 25.
Roller skating champions in Mongolia.
The 5th Phnom Penh International Half Marathon/Olympic Day Run attracted over 4,000 entries.
Page 11
Inside the OCA OCA adjusts Incheon Asian Games medal table
T
regulations, the medals have been withdrawn and the relay teams have been disqualified.
he Olympic Council of Asia has adjusted the 2014 Incheon Asian Games final medal rankings after the conclusion of two anti-doping cases related to the games.
The adjustments have changed the medal tallies of China, Republic of Korea, Japan, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and Singapore. See below for details.
Korean swimming hero Park Tae Hwan tested positive for Nebido, more commonly known as injectable testosterone, which is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as it strengthens muscles.
The new table also reflects the change of Chinese women's hammer thrower Zhang Wenxiu, who had her gold medal reinstated when a doping case was quashed. In other news: OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam has been elected First Vice President of world swimming governing body FINA - the second in command under the President, Julio Cesar Maglione.
He has been suspended retroactively from September 3, 2014 - the day his samples were collected - and the suspension ends in March 2016. Park won medals in six events at Incheon – one silver in the 100m freestyle and five bronze medals in the 4 x 100m medley relay, 4 x 100m freestyle relay, 4 x 200m freestyle relay, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle.
OCA has confirmed the dates of the three Youth Camps this year in Doha, Qatar. Please see OCA Diary on Page 32 for details. Here is the revised medal standings for the leading teams:
According to OCA, FINA and WADA anti-doping
1
CHN
67
44
41
152
83
62
41
186
1
2
3
6
151
108
85
344
1
2
KOR
38
39
47
124
35
28
29
92
6
3
3
12
79
70
79
228
2
3
JPN
33
41
41
115
13
33
31
77
1
3
5
9
47
77
77
201
3
4
KAZ
19
12
16
47
9
11
17
37
0
0
0
0
28
23
33
84
4
5
IRI
19
11
11
41
2
7
7
16
0
0
0
0
21
18
18
57
5
6
THA
4
3
11
18
8
3
17
28
0
1
0
1
12
7
28
47
8
7
PRK
4
7
2
13
6
4
12
22
1
0
0
1
11
11
14
36
11
8
IND
6
6
17
29
4
4
19
27
1
0
0
1
11
10
36
57
5
9
TPE
2
8
11
21
8
9
11
28
0
1
1
2
10
18
23
51
7
10
QAT
9
0
3
12
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
10
0
4
14
19
11
UZB
6
11
18
35
3
3
4
10
0
0
0
0
9
14
22
45
9
12
BRN
3
4
3
10
6
2
1
9
0
0
0
0
9
6
4
19
17
13
HKG
3
7
11
21
3
4
12
19
0
1
2
3
6
12
25
43
10
14
MAS
2
7
9
18
3
7
5
15
0
0
0
0
5
14
14
33
13
15
SIN
1
2
9
12
3
4
5
12
1
0
0
1
5
6
14
25
14
16
MGL
3
3
5
11
2
1
7
10
0
0
0
0
5
4
12
21
15
17
INA
1
2
4
7
3
2
4
9
0
1
3
4
4
5
11
20
16
18
KUW
3
5
3
11
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
3
5
4
12
20
19
KSA
2
2
1
5
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
2
3
3
1
7
21
20
MYA
1
0
1
2
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
4
27
12 VIE
0
3
12
15
1
7
13
21
0
0
0
0
1
10
25
36
11
PHI
1
3
7
11
0
0
4
4
0
0
0
0
1
3
11
15
18
21Page 22
celebrates the
28th SEA Games Our 8-page special on the 28th SEA Games starts here!
Singapore E xcels A gain
Medals Table
Facts and Figures
SEA Games Stars
Singapore Scrapbook
28th SEA Games, Singapore 2015
Celebrating the Extraordinary in Singapore
S
ingapore has done it again! After hosting the OCA’s inaugural Asian Youth Games in 2009, followed by the IOC’s first Youth Olympic Games in 2010, Singapore kept its promise to “Celebrate the Extraordinary” at the 28th SEA Games from June 5-16. With 402 events in 36 sports, and 7,000 athletes and officials from the 11 National Olympic Committees in the Southeast Asian region, Singapore found the perfect platform to display its sparkling new sports venues and to underline its ambition to be a modern sports hub for Asia and the world. The focal point of the 28th SEA Games was the Singapore Sports Hub, whose four competition venues included the magnificent new National Stadium and the OCBC Aquatic Centre. Between them, the four venues within the Sports Hub hosted 10 sports, and attracted a steady flow of spectators during competition downtime with a carnival and other festivities.
On the way to the Singapore Sports Hub.
Page 14
There was plenty to see in other districts, too, as the SEA Games sports programme took visitors on a sightseeing tour of the Garden City, including East Coast Park, Bedok Reservoir, Marina Bay and the famous Padang. All in all, then, Singapore 2015 reinforced the SEA Games reputation as the Friendly Games. The competition was fierce but fair and the rivalries were robust but underpinned with a respect built up over generations from the first regional sports gathering in 1959. Although this was the fourth time Singapore had hosted the event, it was the first in 22 years and coincided with SG50 – the golden jubilee of Singapore’s independence. The pride and passion of the home supporters was another memorable legacy. This was clear from the moment the host team’s athletes entered the National Stadium during the opening ceremony on June 5, and continued around the competition venues right through to the closing ceremony 11 days later.
Preparing for the victory ceremony.
28th SEA Games, Singapore 2015
Medal Standings
ingapore There was plenty to celebrate, too, with 84 gold medals and a second-place finish behind Thailand – all part of a truly extraordinary 28th SEA Games Singapore 2015!
Country 1
THA
95
83
69
247
2
SIN
84
73
102
259
3
VIE
73
53
60
186
4
MAS
62
58
66
186
Vietnam is lined up for the 31st SEA Games in 2021 and Cambodia has been confirmed as host for the first time in 2023.
5
INA
47
61
74
182
6
PHI
29
36
66
131
The SEA Games Federation Council also accepted ice hockey, ice skating, cricket, bridge and the Indonesian martial art of tarung derajat as new sports, meaning they are eligible for future SEA Games.
7
MYA
12
26
31
69
8
CAM
1
5
9
15
9
LAO
0
4
25
29
10
BRU
0
1
6
7
11
TLS
0
1
1
2
Note: Malaysia will host the 29th SEA Games in 2017 and the Philippines has expressed an interest in organising the 30th SEA Games in 2019 following the withdrawal of Brunei Darussalam.
Singapore swimmer Joseph Schooling became the "face" of the SEA Games by racing to nine gold medals. He followed this up by winning Singapore's historic first medal at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia - a bronze in the 100m butterfly.
Vietnamese fans show their pride in their country (SINGSOC).
Singapore's Joseph Schooling won nine gold medals in the pool.
Page 15
28th SEA Games
Stars of the Show (SINGSOC)
Eric Shauwn Cray of the Philippines won the 100-metre dash and retained his 400-metre hurdles title. (SINGSOC)
Charmaine Soh led the host nation to netball gold by beating Malaysia in a gripping final. (SINGSOC)
Singapore’s Wang Wenying won a golden double in the women’s foil – individual and team. (SINGSOC)
Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Anh Vien swam to eight gold medals, one silver and one bronze, setting eight Games records. (SINGSOC)
Page 16
28th SEA Games
Stars of the Show (SINGSOC)
Noppawan Lertcheewakarn served up three tennis gold medals in women’s singles, doubles and team. (SINGSOC)
Suthasini Sawettabut won the table tennis women’s singles from a world ranking of 107. (SINGSOC)
Malaysia’s Ooi Tze Liang ruled supreme in men’s diving with four gold medals. (SINGSOC)
Timor-Leste’s Luisa Dos Santos Rosa won her country’s only silver medal, in taekwondo (49kg). (SINGSOC)
Page 17
28th SEA Games Inside Story
A dressage dress rehearsal for Jakarta Asian Games
I
n the build-up to the 18th Asian Games- Jakarta 2018, the organising committee will be promoting a wide range of Indonesian medal prospects to create excitement and expectation along the way.
Riding the chestnut stallion Wallenstein 145, Gading followed up her score of 73.553 in the first round with 74.300 in the second round for an overall total of 147.853.
For equestrian, Larasati Gading fills the role perfectly following her SEA Games gold medal in the individual dressage at Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre.
Gading, who is 43 and lives in Stuttgart, Germany, described her victory as “doubly sweet” because this was the final SEA Games for Wallenstein 145, who was born in 1998. “This was the fifth year together. I have had him since 2011 and he is 17 now. By the time of the next SEA Games in 2017 he would be 19 and that’s not fair,” she said, referring to the stress and strains of long-haul travel from northern Europe to the Far East. “After that I want to be in the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018, but it will not be on this horse. I have four hoses at this level,” she added.
Indonesia's individual dressage champion Larasati Gading.
With Indonesia taking dressage team gold, too, there will be plenty to cheer for the local fans at the 18th Asian Games.
Vietnamese show true team spirit
V
ietnam’s Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc showed true Olympic spirit in the women’s 20km race walk at East Coast Park.
canopy of lush green trees in the Garden City. Still, it was hot and humid, making the conditions uncomfortable even for the spectators.
After winning the energy-sapping event in 1 hour, 45 minutes and 20 seconds of sauna-like conditions, the 24-year-old Vietnamese athlete gathered a national flag from one of the support team.
The athletes and officials were in for a big surprise when British Olympic track hero Lord Sebastian Coe turned up to watch the race walk and cheered on the athletes one by one from the grandstand.
But rather than basking in gold medal glory and posing for photographs for the hungry media pack, Nguyen ran up the outside of the course and took her place among the spectators. Now it was clear why she needed the flag: to cheer on her teammate, Phan Thi Bich Ha. With shouts of encouragement and frantic flag-waving, the gold medal-winner added her support to Phan’s cause, and was delighted to see her come in third and take the bronze medal. Talk about team spirit! The race was comprised of 17 laps of a course set just behind the beach and shaded for the most part by a Page 18
The race walk medal-winners before the victory ceremony.
28th SEA Games Inside Story
Petanque and the Padang - a perfect match
S
ingapore Recreation Club’s hallowed home was taken over during the SEA Games by a sport steeped in the colonial past – but the past of French Indo-China. The sport in question was petanque, which attracted 10 of the 11 NOCs and boasted one of the busiest programmes of all 36 sports, from morning till night, 10 days in a row.
The SEA region has 10 of the 22 petanque federations in Asia, with South Asia another hot spot. “We have 22 countries now and our target is to make it Asia-wide and to develop it in all five zones,” said Sarin. Petanque at the Padang will have certainly helped their cause.
The venue was the famous Padang - home of the venerable SRC since 1883 - but unrecognisable from its usual form due to the construction of a tented village for the petanque community. This included a vast marquee to shelter the players, officials and spectators alike from the blazing Singapore sun. Meas Sarin, Technical Delegate and Secretary General of the Asian Petanque and Sports Boules Confederation, said the covered playing area was all part of the development of the sport, which was introduced into Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos by the French as an outdoor leisure activity. “We started as an open-air, sunshine sport, but now we are an indoor sport because we have to protect the health of the athletes. In this weather we cannot play under the sun,” he said.
One of the huge electric fans to keep players and spectators cool inside the marquee.
A memorable day for Asia’s rugby president
A
s the action swung from end to end and the sellout crowd of 3,000 cheered try after try, there was no happier man at Choa Chu Kang Stadium than Trevor Gregory, President of Asia Rugby.
“This is a perfect Olympic sport,” he said, with an eye on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where the abbreviated form of rugby union will make its debut. “It’s fast, it’s non-stop action, it’s about winning and losing and that last-gasp effort. Sevens is an incredible sport for the Olympic Games.” No one at the sun-baked stadium on finals day would have argued with that, as the Philippines won the men’s event and Thailand the women. “I think in the last two or three years the standard of sevens in Asia has really improved a lot,” he added. “I applaud Singapore here and Malaysia in the 2017 SEA Games for taking it on. This is the kind of exposure the players need. They need to learn to play under pressure.
Philippines players thank the fans for their support after winning the rugby sevens title.
“We have 31 members in Asia and there are a lot more countries wanting to play. There is no doubt the Olympic sentiment is out there.” Page 19
28th SEA Games Scrapbook
Singapore's Tao Li is beaming on the big screen with swimming gold.
Brightly decorated buses are ready to serve the SEA Games The flags of the 11 SEA Games NOCs in the new National Stadium
Security with a smile!
The Main Press Centre at the National Stadium
Lord Sebastian Coe attends the race walk event
Page 20
Spectacular backdrop for the canoe / kayak races
Merlion Park
Games Update Beach Games organisers announce Danang deadlines
O
rganisers of the 5th Asian Beach Games in Vietnam next year have announced a timeline of major events and activities in the countdown to Danang 2016.
Application Forms and Accreditation Manual and start of e-accreditation process; Pre-Delegation Registration Meetings.
Furthermore, the National Steering and Organising Committee held meetings in Danang on July 17 to discuss the city infrastructure and public services.
2016
The fifth edition of the OCA’s popular sand and sea sports carnival will run from September 24 to October 3, 2016, and feature 5,000 athletes and officials from 45 NOCs in 14 sports. Here are some key dates in the countdown: 2015 August: OCA Coordination Seminar. September: Distribution of Estimated Team Size Forms to NOCs; One-Year Countdown Ceremony. September-October: Distribution of Official Invitations to NOCs. December: Distribution of Sport Entry Forms and Sport Technical Handbooks; Distribution of Accreditation
February: Distribution of Chef de Mission Manuals; Deadline for Estimated Team Size Forms. April: Deadline for Sport Entry by Number Forms; Distribution of Accommodation Booking Forms. June: Chef de Mission Seminar. July: Deadline for Accreditation Application Forms; Deadline for Sport Entry by Name Forms; Distribution of Arrival & Departure Forms. August: Deadline for Accommodation Booking Forms; Distribution of Pre-Valid Accreditation Cards; OCA-Technical Delegates Meeting. September: Delegation Registration Meetings; all venues operational; arrival of athletes and officials; Team Welcome Ceremony. September 24: Opening Ceremony. October 3: Closing Ceremony.
OCA’s NOCs invited to 6th Children of Asia Games 2016
T
he Children of Asia Games International Committee has announced that the sixth Children of Asia International Sports Games will take place from July 5-17, 2016, in the Russian Federation. The Games, which will be held under the patronage of the IOC and supported by the OCA, will include 22 sports 14 Olympic and eight non-Olympic - and will take place in the city of Yakutsk, Sakha Republic (Yakutia).
countries of the OCA have had the opportunity to be a part of this festival of sports and culture. “For many young athletes the Games have become one of their first international competitions and a launching pad into major international sports events.”
The 6th CoA Games are open to the OCA’s 45 member countries and regions and four member countries of the European Olympic Committees. Dmitry Glushko, President of the Children of Asia Games International Committee, explained in a circular to Asia’s NOCs: “Over 7,000 young athletes from over 30 member
The 6th Children of Asia Games 2016 organising committee hosted the Chefs de Mission Seminar from July 20-23.
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Games Update
OCA announces spor 18th Asian Games OCA Coordination Committee has T heannounced that 11 sports will be held in the co-host city of Palembang during the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018.
OCA CC Chairman Tsunekazu Takeda and colleagues were given a warm welcome at the Novotel Palembang Hotel.
The announcement was made by the Chairman of the Coordination Committee, Mr Tsunekazu Takeda, on August 11 and followed two days of meetings with the organisers and a venue tour in Palembang – capital of South Sumatra and a 45-minute flight from Jakarta. The 11 sports to be hosted by Palembang are: Canoe/Kayak Rowing Rugby Sevens
The Olympic cauldron at the main stadium in Jakabaring Sports City, Palembang.
Shooting Triathlon Beach Volleyball Cricket (20-20) Bridge Basketball (preliminary rounds) Football (preliminary rounds)
Even the security guards took a souvenir photo when the OCA came to town.
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Handball (preliminary rounds)
Games Update
sports for Palembang at ames – Jakarta 2018 The remaining sports will be hosted by one of three venue clusters in the Jakarta area: South Jakarta (focused on the Gelora Bung Karno national stadium), North Jakarta (Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran) and Jakarta Suburb (Indonesian Convention and Exhibition – ICE, at BSD City).
The media in Palembang was out in force for the OCA visit.
The 2nd OCA Coordination Committee meeting for the 18th Asian Games was held on August 10-11 and included a venue tour of the Jakabaring Sports City in Palembang and meetings in Palembang and Jakarta. At the closing press conference, Mr Takeda announced the list of sports to be held at Palembang. He also said the OCA had urged the organising committee to consult the International Federations and Asian Federations in order to commence venue renovation work, and explained that the OCA required only one organising committee and one master plan.
NOC flags fly outside Palembang Airport
“There is only three years to the Games but there is a need for test events to take place,” he told the media. “We do not have time to spare. “There is a lot of hard work ahead but I am confident the 2018 Asian Games will be a great success.”
Waiting for the VIPs to arrive in Palembang.
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Games Update Meet Ezomon – mascot of Sapporo 2017
T
he 8th Sapporo Asian Winter Games Organising Committee (SAWGOC) is pleased to announce that the mascot’s name for the 2017 Sapporo Asian Winter Games has been decided. SAWGOC invited the public to name the mascot and received 6,661 applications. The SAWGOC selection committee chose “Ezomon” in the hope that the mascot will attract widespread popularity regardless of age. Of the 637 applicants who named it Ezomon, Misuzu Kato
- a 10-year-old fourth grader at the Sapporo City Nishioka Minami Elementary School - was chosen as the winner by the drawing of lots. She thought of the name by imagining a hero that is willing to try new things and who encourages children to dream big. The name was announced on June 5 during a press conference with the Mayor of Sapporo, and Ezomon made its first public appearance. Mr Noriaki Ikushima, Secretary General of SAWGOC, presented the commendation certificate and prize to Misuzu during a ceremony at the KITA GAS 6-hour relay marathon on June 28.
SAWGOC promotes Sapporo 2017 in Taipei
O
rganising committee SAWGOC promoted the Sapporo Asian Winter Games at the Japan Tourism Fair 2015 held at Taipei Station in Taiwan from June 2628.
The event, which was being held for the third time, was organised by the Nippon Travel Agency and the Taiwan Visitors Association in order to introduce the charm of local areas of Japan to the people of Taiwan. Fifty-eight companies and organisations from Japan participated in the tourism fair and many people visited the Sapporo 2017 PR booth where they received information on not only the 8th AWG but also on the beautiful island of Hokkaido.
The Sapporo AWG kiosk at the tourism fair in Taipei.
New SAWGOC President
T
he second SAWGOC board meeting for 2015 was held on June 16, when the new Mayor of Sapporo, Mr Katsuhiro Akimoto, succeeded the former Mayor, Mr Fumio Ueda, as President of the organising committee. Mr Akimoto said he would like to host a successful AWG in February 2017 by bringing together the citizens of Sapporo and the whole of Hokkaido. Page 24
The first OCA Information Technology Audit for Sapporo 2017 was conducted from July 1-3 by the OCA auditors, Mr Manuel Gonzalez and Mr Alfonso Sanchez. The two parties discussed the role and the progress of the IT project.
News and Sport from 45 NOCs
Afghanistan Bakhtar News reports that Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, First Vice President, congratulated the sports movement in a message to athletes and fans at the start of Olympic Week. He said he hoped that the NOC and other relevant organisations would continue to work hard for the expansion of sport in Afghanistan and that the national team representatives in all sports would bring medals and glory to the country. Bahrain
His Royal Highness Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck, Representative of His Majesty the King and President of the Bhutan Olympic Committee, was re-elected unanimously by the BOC General Assembly as President for the term 2015-2018. The elections took place at the 1st Extraordinary Annual General Meeting at Khangkhu Resort in Paro on May 31.
Brunei Darussalam
Brunei planned to send 11 athletes from three sports (athletics, bocce and golf) to the Special Olympics Summer World Games 2015 in Los Angeles, USA, from July 25-August 2, Hj Mahrub Hj Murni, President of the Special Olympics Brunei Darussalam, announced at a press conference. (www.bruneiolympic.org) Cambodia The Ministry of Tourism and the NOC will cooperate with the Phoenix Voyages Company to organise the first ultra-marathon over 128km at Siem Reap province in January 2016. Around 300 athletes from overseas are registered ultra-marathon runners but there are only 10 in Cambodia.
The Bahrain Olympic Committee’s Sports Training and Development Centre conducted a Level 4 Course, part of the National Coaching Programme, from June 7-11 at its premises in Juffair. Thirty coaches from Bahrain and overseas took part in the five-day course from a variety of individual and team sports. Bangladesh The Bangladesh Olympic Association has sent a training budget to the sports ministry for the 12th South Asian Games in India in January 2016, says BOA Vice President Mizanur Rahman Manu. The athletes plan to begin training from August, reports the Daily Star. In the last edition of the SA Games, in Dhaka in 2010, Bangladesh finished third with 18 gold medals and 100 overall.
(www.noccambodia.org)
Cai Zhenhua, Vice Minister in charge of the General Administration of Sport in China and Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, met with the Georgian Deputy Prime Minister for Energy, Kakha Kaladze, in Beijing on June 25. The two parties said the two countries enjoyed strong relations in sport and had cooperated in judo, wrestling and water polo, among others. (www.olympic.cn)
Bhutan
China
DPR Korea
The month-long sports festival for the Pochonbo Torch Prize involved 30 sports. The defence sports team of the Korean People’s Army set new national records in the women’s individual 50m 3-position rifle and the men’s team 50m running target mixed shooting events. The April 25 team won 72 gold medals to top the standings, followed by Amnokgang and Kigwancha, reports the Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang.
Hong Kong, China
Representatives of more than 70 schools and 20 athletes attended a briefing session for the new Sports Legacy Scheme
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News and Sport from 45 NOCs Three female participants from Iran swept the medals in the P2 10m air pistol competition in the International Paralympic Committee Shooting World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, reports Mehr News Agency. Samira Eram won gold with 197.9 points and was followed by Alieh Mahmoudi (196.2) and Sareh Javandmardi (176.5). (www.olympic.ir) Iraq
2015-2018 implemented by the Hong Kong Athletes Career and Education Programme under the auspices of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China. The scheme was launched in February 2012.
The General Secretary of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, Abdulrahman Askar, welcomed to his office Khalid Bashir, deputy head of the Iraqi junior volleyball team visiting Bahrain for a week-long training camp. Bashir thanked Bahrain for their hospitality and looked forward to more cooperation in the near future. Bahrain Volleyball Association General Secretary Feras Al Halwachi also attended the meeting.
India The much-delayed 12th South Asian Games to be held in Guwahati and Shillong will be put back from December 2015 to January or February 2016, the South Asian Sports Council decided at a meeting in New Delhi. The Games will feature 2,500 athletes from eight NOCs. (www.olympic.ind.in) Indonesia The Executive Board of the Indonesian Swimming Association has chosen the Jakabaring sports complex in Palembang – capital of South Sumatra province - to host the Asian Water Polo Championship in October 2016, reports Antara News. Palembang will also stage some events in the 2018 Asian Games. Iran N.O.C.I.R.IRAN
Japan The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organising Committee has shortlisted eight International Federations proposing events to be considered for inclusion: Baseball/softball, bowling, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, surfing and wushu. The final decision will be made at the 129th IOC Session in Rio in August 2016. (www.tokyo2020.jp) Jordan Three-time Olympian Nadin Dawani has joined three other taekwondo stars in becoming qualified coaches in the sport. Dawani, who competed in the Athens, Beijing and London Olympics and is Jordan’s chef de mission for Rio 2016, was joined by Eman Abatha, Majeda Khalil and Nadin Handomeh in
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News and Sport from 45 NOCs Kuwaiti shooter Atef Al-Dosari has qualified for the Rio Paralympics 2016 after clinching silver at the IPC Shooting World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, reports Kuwait News Agency. AlDosari finished second in a field of 50 competitors from 48 nations. Kyrgyzstan IOC President Thomas Bach awarded Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev the IOC Medal in honour of Pierre de Coubertin during his visit to Bishkek along with the OCA and ANOC President, Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, reports Kabar National News Agency. passing the practical and theoretical tests for the new coaches’ course held in Amman.
Laos
Kazakhstan
Laos won four silver medals and 25 bronze for a total haul of 29 medals at the 28th SEA Games in Singapore from June 5-16 to finish ninth in the 11-team medal rankings.
Almaty will host the International Shooting Sport Federation’s Junior (U20) Shotgun Cup from August 21-30. The first ISSF Junior Cup of the year saw 572 young athletes from 44 nations compete in rifle, pistol, shotgun, trap, skeet and mixed events in Suhl, Germany.
Lebanon
(www.issf-sports.org)
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Abdul Mottaleb Hennawi, met at his office in the Ministry with the Ambassador of the Philippines to Lebanon, Leah Ruiz, over bilateral relations and the means to bolster sports ties between the two countries, reports the National News Agency.
Korea Host South Korea, thanks to strong showings in judo, archery, badminton and taekwondo, clinched first place in the 2015 Summer Universiade medal table with 44 gold medals, followed by Russia and China with 34, reports Yonhap News. A record 12,885 athletes and officials from 143 countries took part in the student games, held in Gwangju, 330km south of Seoul.
Macau, China
Kuwait
The Bank of China (Macau) handed out MOP 1.5 million (US$180,000) in prize money to Macau’s elite athletes at a gala dinner and presentation at Macau Tower on June 25 organised by the Sports and Olympic Committee of Macau, China. A total of 83 athletes from 11 national sports associations received a reward for success in 13 levels of competition from world championships to youth tournaments held from May 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015.
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News and Sport from 45 NOCs
Malaysia The 175th Olympic Council of Malaysia council meeting was held on June 27 and two important matters were decided. The first was the non-approval of the application of the Malaysian Extreme Sports Association to be an Associate Member of OCM. The second was on the organisation of the 29th SEA Games 2017. Maldives In preparation for the 9th Indian Ocean Island Games to be held in St Denis, Reunion, from August 1-9, Maldives Olympic Committee held doping tests for 21 athletes from five sports on July 6. The sports - football, volleyball, table tennis, tennis and handball - and athletes were selected randomly by the NOC.
Myanmar’s reigning chess king, Wynn Zaw Htun, won his sixth national trophy, and his third in a row, at the 41st Myanmar National Chess Championship 2015 held at Aung San Indoor Stadium in Yangon from June 25-July 5, reports the Myanmar Times. Sixteen players took part. Nepal The NOC met with the national sports federations on Sunday, June 28 to discuss the 12th South Asian Games to be held in India early next year. Oman
Mongolia
Ms Purevsambuu Tungalag, Mongolia NOC’s Director of Sports Federations, Games and Women in Sport, has been nominated as Mongolia’s first-ever female member of an IOC Commission – the Women in Sport Commission. In the photo, IOC honorary member Mr Sh Magvan congratulates her on her achievement. Myanmar
Muscat hosted the Asian qualifying competition for the World Chess Championship from May 16-25. The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of HE Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Mardhoof Al Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs, in the presence of Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, President of the World Chess Federation, NOC Vice Chairman Sheikh Saif bin Hilal Al Hosni and Oman Chess Committee Chairman Laila bint Ahmed Al Najjar. Pakistan The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has allocated 50 per cent of the 120 stipends for athletes to the sport of track and field under the Wapda Endowment Fund for Sports (WEFS), reports The Nation in Lahore. The previous quota for athletics was only 12 per cent, and the new amount will be divided equally between boys and girls to encourage young girls to participate in sport. Palestine Palestine was one of 13 countries and regions represented in an Asian qualifying competition for the World Chess Championship in Oman. The 26 players came from: UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq and Sultanate of Oman.
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News and Sport from 45 NOCs
Philippines
The POC’s Athletes Commission - represented by Hidilyn Diaz, 2012 Olympic weightlifter - called at various national sports associations in the Philippine Sports Commission’s Rizal Memorial Complex to distribute Unilab products Revicon Forte and Nuerogen E, Nestle’s Milo packs, Nescafe 3n1 coffee and C-lium Fibre to help the athletes in their preparation for the 28th SEA Games in Singapore. (www.olympic.ph). Qatar
Sri Lanka The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Colombo together with the NOC of Sri Lanka are calling for applications for the International Coaching Course – Sports Management 2015 to be held from October 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 by the University of Leipzig. For more details please visit the website: www.itk.uni-leipzig.de. (www.srilankaolympic.org) Syria An Australian sports delegation arrived in Damascus on Wednesday, July 15 for a one-week visit to have a real understanding of what is going on in the country. Upon their arrival at Damascus international airport, members of the delegation said their visit was to support Syria and to build bridges in sport, reports the Syrian Arab News Agency.
Chinese Taipei
Under the patronage of the Qatar Olympic Committee, the Annual Ramadan Golf Tournament was organised by the Qatar Golf Association at Doha Golf Club with the participation of 40 players. Raisal Radwan claimed the men’s title and Amira Al Mohsen won the women’s title. Saoud Al Mohannadi won the juniors event. (www.olympic.qa) Saudi Arabia Prince Abdullah bin Musaed bin Abdulaziz, General President of Youth Welfare and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, inaugurated the NOC’s Olympic Day Festival in Riyadh on June 23, reports the Saudi Press Agency. Singapore The Singapore Sports Awards Selection Committee revealed the finalists of the 2015 Singapore Sports Awards nominees on July 10. Organised by the Singapore National Olympic Council and Sport Singapore, and supported by Tote Board, the 2015 Singapore Sports Awards has 11 categories and honour the most deserving individuals and teams in sports for the year 2014. (www.singaporeolympics.com).
The CTOC signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with the NOC of Sri Lanka on June 6. Sri Lanka NOC President Hemasiri Fernando and CTOC President Hong-Dow Lin signed the agreement. To mark the start of the new relationship, CTOC sponsor Victor Rackets Corp donated 100 sets of badminton rackets to Sri Lanka to help develop the sport. Tajikistan Hammer thrower Dilshod Nazarov is the first Tajik athlete to qualify for Rio 2016 by finishing with 79.36 metres at the 2015 Ostrava Golden Spike, Czech Republic, on May 25. This result
Page 29
News and Sport from 45 NOCs Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) board meeting and Senior Doping Control Officer training from May 23-25.
also gives him the right to participate in the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing in August, reports Asia-Plus from Dushanbe. Thailand Twenty-five future Olympians began their Road to Rio 2016 at Thanyapura – the first Official FINA Training Centre in Southeast Asia, at Phuket – at a press conference attended by the Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, on Monday, June 29. The OCA and Olympic Solidarity have also supported the year-long camp. Timor-Leste Timor-Leste, the newest member of the SEA Games Federation, having joined in 2003, won one silver and one bronze medal to finish in last place of the 11 NOCs at Singapore 2015. Turkmenistan In cooperation with the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) 2017 Organising Committee and the NOC of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat hosted the Central Asia Regional
United Arab Emirates
Under the initiative of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to hold a community-based National Sports Day during the 44th UAE National Day celebrations, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the NOC, approved National Sports Day under the theme “The UAE brings us together”. Uzbekistan The 21st International Tournament for the Judo Union of Asia Cup - for youth and cadets in tribute to the late judo master of sports, Uchkun Muradov - took place in Chirchik College and attracted 120 athletes from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the home country, reports the Uzbekistan National News Agency. Vietnam Vietnam’s achievements at the 28th SEA Games in Singapore lifted the whole nation and enhanced Vietnam’s image overseas, President Truong Tan Sang stated while receiving coaches and athletes on June 23 at the President’s Palace in Hanoi. Vietnam sent 392 athletes to Singapore and finished third in the medal tally with 186 medals, including 73 gold. Vietnamese athletes set 13 new SEA Games records, including eight in swimming. (Tuyet Hoa, VOC Media Officer). Yemen The Asian Football Confederation has announced that the draw for the AFC U-23 Championship in Qatar from January 12-30, 2016, will be held in Doha on September 12. Yemen qualified as one of the 16 teams by virtue of their record as the fourth best group runner-up.
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Obituary OCA mourns Pakistani sports leader Latif Butt
F
ormer Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Secretary General Muhammad Latif Butt passed away on Thursday, August 6, after a short illness. He was 80. Latif Butt, OCA Vice President from 1998-2007 and Advisor to the OCA President, was buried in a graveyard near his home in Model Town Lahore. His funeral was attended by a large number of family members, the IOC Member in Pakistan, Syed Shahid Ali, POA President Syed Arif Hasan, POA Secretary General Muhammad Khalid Mahmood, officials of various national sports federations, provincial sports associations and Punjab Olympic Association. Latif Butt, who was POA Secretary General from 1990 to 2005, was a popular and respected sports personality in Pakistan, Asia and the global Olympic movement.
He remained associated with the Pakistan Swimming Federation as its Secretary General and President for nearly three decades.
POA President Arif Hasan: “We are deeply grieved on the sad demise of Latif Butt. He will always be remembered for his contribution to sport in Pakistan. He was well recognised as a great sports leader.” OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah: “Everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him would have been touched by his humbleness and warmth. Mr. Latif Butt will not only be missed by the people of Pakistan but by the global sports fraternity.” OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam: “Mr. Latif Butt and myself go back a long way in swimming and I had the pleasure of sharing his knowledge and learning from him.”
Tan Sri Haji Omardin Mauju : Pencak Silat pioneer
T
he Olympic Council of Malaysia reports that Allahyarham Tan Sri Datuk Wira Haji Omardin Mauju, first recipient of the “Pendekar Malaysia” award, passed away peacefully on June 20. He was 74.
In the early 1960s, Tan Sri Haji Omardin Mauju was the founder of the Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia, which now has branches all over Malaysia, Asia and other parts of the world. He was also responsible for establishing the Malaysian National Silat Federation, and the International Pencak Silat Federation in 1980, which enabled Silat to be included in the SEA Games. OCM also reports that Mr. Maniam Manikkam (pictured), a highly respected sports official of Perlis State, passed away peacefully on June 17, age 65. He was President of the Kabaddi Association of
Malaysia and a long-time office-bearer of the Malaysian National Cycling Federation.
Mostafa Davoudi
A
former President of the NOC of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mostafa Davoudi, died at the age of 76 on July 30. Mr Davoudi, who passed away after a long illness, was laid to rest in Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery. Davoudi served as NOC President from 1980-1984. He was also President of Iran’s Physical Education Organisation, and President of Iran Deaf Sports Federation for several years. Iran’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mahmoud Goudarzi, expressed grief over the death of the former NOC leader. Page 31
OCA Sports Diary
2015
Buenos Aires, Argentina: August 19 IOC Coordination Commission
Taipei: November 11 Annual UPIM Congress
Samoa: September 05-12 5th Commonwealth Youth Games
Doha, Qatar: November 15-29 OCA Youth Camp No. 2 - Athletics - Long Jump
Doha, Qatar: September 05-18 OCA Youth Camp No. 1 - Basketball 3x3
Doha, Qatar: November 15-29 OCA Youth Camp No. 3 - Tennis - Long Jump
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: September 14 OCA Finance Committee Meeting
Tokyo, Japan: November 28-29 Asian qualification tournament (women - second leg) for rugby sevens Rio 2016
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: September 15 67th OCA Executive Board Meeting
Lausanne, Switzerland: December 8 IOC Executive Board
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: September 15-16 34th OCA General Assembly
2016
PyeongChang, Korea: September 22 IOC Coordination Commission
Lillehammer, Norway: February 26 – March 6 II Winter Youth Olympic Games
Lausanne, Switzerland: October 08 IOC 7th Athletes’ Forum
Yakutsk, Russian Federation: July 5-17 6th Children of Asia International Sports Games
Dammam, Saudi Arabia: October 15-26 2nd GCC Beach Games
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: August 5 – 21 XXXI Olympic Summer Games
Doha, Qatar: October 18-20 OCA/Qatar Athletics Federation Youth Athletics Coaching Congress
Danang, Vietnam: September 24 – October 3 5th Asian Beach Games
Jakarta, Indonesia: October 20-26 Ju-Jitsu Asian Union 1st Asian Championships
Sapporo, Japan: February 19 – 26 8th Asian Winter Games
Washington DC, USA: October 27 ANOC Commissions and Working Group meetings Washington DC, USA: October 28 ANOC Executive Council & Continental Association Meetings
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: September 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
Washington DC, USA: October 29 20th ANOC General Assembly Hong Kong, China: November 7-8 Asian qualification tournament (men and women) for rugby sevens Rio 2016
2018
PyeongChang, Korea: February 09 – 25 XXIII Olympic Winter Games
OCA Sponsors Club
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2017
www.ocasia org
Jakarta, Indonesia: August 18 – September 02 18th Asian Games, Jakarta 2018