Sporting Asia - Edition 59 - DEC 2022

OCA Acting President’s Message

NOC News in Pictures

Hangzhou Asian Games

OCA Diving Youth Camp

Inside the OCA - Asian Olympic Academy - OCA Athletes’ Committee Webinar - OCA/IOA MoU Signing Ceremony

41st OCA General Assembly

- Saudi Arabia awarded 2029 Asian Winter Games - OCA Merit Award - Photo Gallery - Doha 2030 Legacy Project - IOC President praises Asia’s Olympic hosting

OCA Games Update

- 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 - AIMAG 6 2023, Thailand - Saudi Arabia builds for Riyadh 2034

OCA Asian Games For All - Fun Run in Cambodia - CTOC Children’s Art Competition

OCA Gender Equity Seminar in Bahrain Women in Sport

ANOC General Assembly and Awards Obituary News in Brief OCA Diary

Sporting Asia is the official newsletter of the Olympic Council of Asia, published quarterly.

Executive Editor / Director General Husain Al-Musallam husain@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

Media Manager Jeans Zhou Jian jeans@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

The Olympic Movement in Asia and around the world is very much back in business after the pandemic, and the new Sporting Asia reflects the activities and events of the OCA, our National Olympic Committees and Games Organising Committees.

Pride of place goes to the OCA Gender Equity Seminar in Bahrain on October 30-31. This was a great success with the attendance of 42 NOCs and a big step forward in the development of the women and sport movement.

I would personally like to thank the Chair of our OCA Gender Equity Committee, Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, for her vision, commitment to the cause and for the hard work of her team.

OCA and for the world of winter sports, to have a winter games in the desert and mountains of the Middle East, and we pledge our total support to the ambitious and adventurous sporting goals of Saudi Arabia.

Sporting Asia also reports on the OCA Diving Youth Camp in Malaysia and the OCA’s commitment to developing Olympic education through the Asian Olympic Academy in Korea and the establishment of an education sub-office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the International Olympic Academy in Greece.

Front Cover:

The NOC delegates join the presenters, panelists and officials for the group photo at the end of the OCA Gender Equity Seminar in Bahrain.

(Photo: Rami Reddy Kona/OCA)

I pointed out in my opening address at the seminar that the OCA nominated three women among the five Asian delegates for the ANOC Executive Council 2022-2026.

This proves that, not only will the OCA support and recognize the achievements of our female sports leaders, but also that the door is open for women to rise to the very top of the Olympic Movement.

Let’s continue to work together for the good of the Olympic Movement and its ideals and values as we count down to 2023 – an Asian Games year in Hangzhou, China.

Raja Randhir Singh Acting President, Olympic Council of Asia

JAPAN NOC held a job support event on September 21 as part of their “Athnavi” project – navigating athletes into the work place by serving as a link with companies seeking staff. Fourteen companies and 15 job-seekers took part.

(Photo: Afro Sports)

PAKISTAN Gymnastics Federation, under the auspices of the Pakistan Olympic Association, conducted an IOC Olympic Solidarity Technical Course for Gymnastics Coaches at Pakistan Olympic House in Lahore from September 4-10. A total of 31 coaches benefited from the course.

(@NOCPak)

JORDAN Olympic Committee organised a three-day course for young sports journalists to integrate the local media into the Olympic movement. The course took place at the Generations for Peace HQ and attracted 12 students from media faculties in Jordanian universities.

(Photo: JOC)

IRAQ NOC President Raad Hammoudi (left) visited the offices of the Defence Minister, Juma Anad, on Sunday, September 11 to discuss mutual cooperation within the framework of strengthening the Iraqi Olympic Movement.

(@nociraq)

UNITED Arab Emirates NOC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Uzbekistan NOC aimed at building bridges of cooperation and enhancing sporting ties. UAE NOC was represented by Engineer Azza bint Suleiman, Assistant Secretary General for Administrative and Financial Affairs, and Uzbekistan NOC was represented by Secretary General Oybek Kasimov. (Photo: UAE NOC)

NEPAL Olympic Committee President and Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Jeevan Ram Shrestha laid the foundation stone for the earthquake memorial multi-purpose covered hall in Dallu Awash, Swayambhu, on September 17.

(Photo: Nepal Olympic Committee)

MALDIVES Olympic Committee gave the honour of carrying the national flag in the closing ceremony of the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, Turkey on August 18 to national team swimmer Aishath Ulya Shaig.

(Photo: MOC Media/Ismail Thoriq).

UNITED Arab Emirates NOC has announced that the eighth National Sports Day will take place on March 2, 2023. NSD was first held in 2015 with the participation of all sectors of society in order to promote a healthy lifestyle and to promote the Olympic sports movement and values.

(@uaenoc)

MONGOLIA NOC is expecting 1,500 athletes from nine NOCs to take part in 12 sports at the East Asian Youth Games in Ulaanbaatar from August 16-23, 2023. The NOC recently welcomed delegates from the East Asia Olympic Council to discuss preparations.

(@Olympic.mn)

of sporting events in Batticaloa, including inaugurating beach tennis in the east of the country and congratulating the girls’ under-17 and under-20 football teams of two

TIMOR-Leste NOC organised a Sports Science and Management seminar in Dili on September 29 in the framework of an MoU signed by the Olympic Committee and the Universitas Negeri Surabaya (UNESA) of Indonesia in August 2019.

(Photo: Laurentino Gutteres Facebook)

SINGAPORE National Olympic Council unanimously re-elected Tan Chuan-Jin as President for a third term through to 2026 at the Annual General Meeting on September 8. (https://www.singaporeolympics.com)

PALESTINE Olympic Committee President Jibril Rajoub welcomed IOC President Thomas Bach to Ramallah. In a meeting with the President of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, the leaders discussed the role of sport in society and the importance of strict political neutrality for sports organisations. The IOC leader later met with members of the NOC Executive Board at NOC HQ and also with the Palestinian Football Federation. (www.ioc.org)

IRAN NOC’s newly elected President, Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa, has been congratulated in official letters by the OCA Acting President Raja Randhir Singh and OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam. They stressed that OCA would continue to work in close cooperation with the new leadership. (Photo: Tehran Times)

KYRGYZSTAN NOC President Sadyr Mamytov took part in the opening ceremony of the international swimming championship for the President's Cup of the Kyrgyz Republic on October 1. The event was held for the 13th time by the Kyrgyzstan Swimming Federation under the auspices of FINA.

LAOS NOC conducted a Sport Administrators Course in Savannakhet province from September 19-23. The training course attracted over 20 students who all received a participation certificate.

TIMOTHY Fok, President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China welcomed a delegation from the Culture, Sports and Tourism bureau to Olympic House on September 1 to discuss the future direction of Hong Kong sports development. The government delegation was led by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung Yun-hung.

(www.hkolympic.org)

LEBANON NOC welcomed the President of the International Weightlifting Federation, Mohammed Jalood Al Shammari, for an historic visit – the first time an IWF president has visited the country.

The Lebanese Olympic Committee said the IWF leader was well known for supporting the smaller weightlifting countries.

OLYMPIC Council of Malaysia President Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr.) Mohamad Norza Zakaria (right) presents the Olympic Day subsidy of USD 10,000 to Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang State Government, after recognition by the Malaysia Book of Records for the organisation of the Olympic Carnival in 2019 and 2022. The certificate presentation ceremony was held on October 3 at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office.

(@Olympic.Council.Malaysia)

TAJIKISTAN NOC, in collaboration with the Government Youth and Sports Committee, conducted an Olympic Solidarity National Sport Administrators Course for coaches and administrators from two sports schools in Norak City from September 15-17. Tajikistan NOC Secretary General Abdullozoda Muhammadsho presented IOC Olympic Solidarity certificates to all participants.

(Olympic.tj)

CHINA NOC elected Gao Zhidan, 59, as the new President of the Chinese Olympic Committee at an Extraordinary Session on September 7. Gao began his career with the General Administration of Sport of China in 1998 and rose to become Vice Minister and COC Vice President. He succeeds former COC President Gou Zhongwen.

(Photo: Xinhau)

Oktohari wears a black ribbon as a sign of grief for the football stadium tragedy at Malang, East Java, on Saturday, October 1, 2022. "The Indonesian Olympic Committee expresses its deepest condolences to the victims of Kanjuruhan Stadium. Indonesia's grief is the suffering of the world,” Okto said, during seven days of official mourning. (https://nocindonesia.id)

THAILAND Olympic Academy, in cooperation with the Table Tennis Association of Thailand, organised the Youth Sport Leaders Training Camp 2022 on September 20-21 at Bangkok Thonburi University.

Academy Director Prof. Dr. Supitr Samahito

BHUTAN Olympic Committee handed over 75 sets of chess equipment donated by the All-India Chess Federation and a number of chess clocks donated by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to the Bhutan Chess Federation on September 21. Ten chess players from Bhutan took part in the All-India Chess Federation 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai in August.

INDONESIAN Olympic Committee President Raja Sapta

Hangzhou Asian Games

ASIAN GAMES TO BRING ‘EXCITEMENT, UNITY’ AROUND THE CONTINENT

The Acting President of the OCA, Raja Randhir Singh, set the scene for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China next year during his opening address at the 41st OCA General Assembly in Cambodia on October 4.

Raja Randhir highlighted the fact that the OCA and Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC) had recently celebrated the one-year countdown to the 19th Asian Games and that everything was in place to stage a successful event.

“After the one-year postponement, we are looking forward to the excitement and unity that the Asian Games creates around the continent and the world,” he said.

Raja Randhir said the Olympic sports movement in Asia had emerged stronger from the pandemic and even more determined to put on a show that will provide the best environment and conditions for the athletes to produce their peak performance on the Asian Games stage.

“I would like to thank the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee and the Chinese Olympic Committee for all their hard work, dedication and determination over many years, and especially in the past three years due to the conditions of the pandemic,” he added.

Raja Randhir pointed out that one positive aspect of the postponement of the 19th Asian Games from September 10-25, 2022 to September 23-October 8, 2023 was that public awareness had grown throughout Hangzhou city and Zhejiang province because the 54 competition venues were now open to the public.

This has resulted in 2 million people participating in sports activities at the Asian Games stadiums while also providing the venue management and operations teams with hands-on experience one year out from the Games.

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

Raja Randhir Singh at the OCA General Assembly. (Photo: OCA)

Hangzhou Asian Games

OCA GEARS UP IN STYLE FOR HANGZHOU ASIAN GAMES

The OCA is driving towards the 19th Asian Games in style thanks to a partnership deal with Lynk & Co Middle East.

At a glitzy ceremony in the Lynk & Co showroom in Kuwait to mark the one-year countdown to the Asian Games on September 23, the vehicle manufacturer presented the OCA with four stylish Lynk & Co 01 model SUVs.

Lynk & Co is owned by Hangzhou-based Geely Auto – one of 10 Prestige Partners of the 19th Asian Games.

The OCA Director General, Husain Al Musallam, said it was a wonderful gesture by Lynk & Co to present the OCA with the SUVs, which will be used by staff to conduct their business around Kuwait.

“We would like to thank Lynk & Co Middle East for their generous support of the OCA and the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou – home of our Prestige Partner Geely Auto,” he said.

“Once again it demonstrates the cooperation and team work between the OCA and our

Asian Games partners and highlights how we will work together for the success of the Games.”

The ceremony was also attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait, His Excellency Zhang Jianwei, who joined the OCA Director General in checking out the plush, high-tech interior of

Enjoy E-mobility @ the Asian Games with Geely

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group was founded in 1986 and entered the automotive industry in 1997. Since then, it has grown with a dedication towards technological innovation, talent cultivation, tempering of core strengths, sustainability. Geely has developed into a global enterprise engaged in the design, R&D, production, sales, and service of vehicles, powertrains, and key components. The Group is in the midst of transforming into a global mobility technology enterprise engaged in the fields of mobility services, digital technology, financial services, education, sports, and other business. In 2019, Geely Holding Group was listed on the Fortune Global 500 for eight consecutive years with annual sales of over 2.17 million vehicles, assets totaling over 330 billion RMB, and employing more than 120,000 people.

Headquartered in Hangzhou, the group owns several brands including Geely Auto, Lynk & Co, Geometry, Volvo Cars, Polestar, PROTON, Lotus, London Electric Vehicle Company, Farizon Auto, Terrafugia, CAOCAO, Qianjiang Motorcycle, Joma, Saxo Bank, Mitime Group, etc. The group and its subsidiaries have set up a global development network with R&D and design centres located around the world. The Group operates world-class manufacturing facilities in China, US, UK, Sweden, Belgium, Belarus, and Malaysia. Geely is also the largest shareholder in Volvo AB and Daimler AG.

In April 2019, Geely Holding Group became the official prestige partner of the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Under the slogan “Enjoy E-mobility @ the Asian Games with Geely,” the Group will empower the games with green, intelligent, and humanistic technologies. Geely will develop a series of full autonomous mobility solutions by 2022 to service the 19th Asian Games.

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

The presentation ceremony on September 23 in Kuwait. (Photo: OCA)

Hangzhou Asian Games

HAGOC PROVIDES UPDATE TO OCA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Vice Mayor of Hangzhou Municipal Government, His Excellency Chen Weiqiang, provided an overview on preparations for the 19th Asian Games at the 41st OCA General Assembly in Cambodia on October 4.

Vice Mayor Chen, who is also Deputy Secretary General of the

Games” thanks to the support of the State Council and Zhejiang province, of which Hangzhou is the capital city.

“I express my heartfelt thanks to the OCA and National Olympic Committees for your support,” he told delegates.

“We have not stopped in our efforts to stage a streamlined, safe and spectacular Asian Games.”

Vice Mayor Chen said the General Assembly was the perfect platform on which to update all the NOCs and other Asian Games stakeholders on the progress of preparations, as well as to introduce a new timeline following the one-year postponement (see page 13 for key dates).

*Vice Mayor Chen presented a Letter of Appointment to the OCA Director General, Husain Al Musallam, to mark his new role as Honorary Director of the Hangzhou Asian Games Museum. The ceremony took place at the Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel on October 2.

Located in Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, the Hangzhou Asian Games Museum has an exhibition area of 5,400 square meters and is planned to open at the end of the year.

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

Vice Mayor Chen presents the Letter of Appointment to Capt. Husain. (Photo: HAGOC)

Hangzhou Asian Games

KEY DATES FOR ASIA’S NOCS IN HANGZHOU COUNTDOWN

The one-year postponement of the 19th Asian Games has brought with it a new timeline and key deadlines for Asia’s National Olympic Committees.

Following an update at the OCA General Assembly in Cambodia on October 4, here are a few facts and figures on the road to Hangzhou.

New dates: September 23-October 8, 2023

Sports: 40 Disciplines: 61 Events: 482

Competition venues: 54 Training venues: 31 (open September 16)

Asian Games Village Pre-opening: September 9

Official opening: September 16 Closes: October 11

Five Athletes sub-villages: Chun’an, Tonglu, Ningbo, Jinhua, Wenzhou (open September 16)

Sport Entry

Entry by Number: February 1 to March 15. Entry by Name: June 1 to July 15. Draw for team sports: End of July (date to be finalised)

Accreditation

Accreditation Guide updates released: November 2022

Opens: December 20, 2022 Closes: May 20, 2023

COVID-19 Prevention and Control Playbook Version 1.0: May Final Version: July

Second World Press Briefing: June 2023

The countdown is on. (Image: HAGOC)

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

Hangzhou Asian Games

ASIAN GAMES UNEARTHS ENGLISH SPEAKING STARS

The awards ceremony of the China Mobile Cup English Star Contest for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 was held in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province in east China, on Tuesday, September 20.

The Director General of the OCA, Husain Al Musallam, offered his congratulations to the organisers and the winners of the contest via a video message played at the ceremony.

Mao Genhong, Deputy Secretary General of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC), added: “The Asian Games are not only a sporting event but also a cultural exchange event. They will also become an important window for the world to hear the voices telling Chinese stories, show the characteristics of Zhejiang province and improve the international image of Hangzhou.”

The China Mobile Cup English Star Contest was hosted by HAGOC in conjunction with the China Daily and China Mobile. The contest was launched on May 20, 2021 and concluded on March 28, 2022.

The champions from the three categories shared their journeys to success and the inspiration they gathered from the theme of the contest “Together, we achieve more!”

The Bank has been consciously integrating the social responsibilities with its development strategy and operation and management activities, and gaining wide recognition in the aspects of promoting inclusive finance, supporting targeted poverty relief, protecting environment and resources and participating in public welfare undertakings. The Bank was ranked the 1st place among the Top 1000 World Banks by The Banker, ranked 1st place in the Global 2000 listed by Forbes and topped the sub-list of commercial banks of the Global 500 in Fortune for the sixth consecutive year, and took the 1st place among the Top 500 Banking Brands of Brand Finance for the third consecutive year. 12th September 2019, ICBC has become official prestige banking service partner of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.

The winners of the three categories were Wang Yuting from Nanjing University, who won first prize in the higher education group; Mao Peirui, who topped the public group; and Bupe Mtambo, an international student from Hangzhou Normal University, who came first in the international group.

The China Mobile Cup English Star Contest awards ceremony. (Photo: China Daily)

Integrity Leads to Prosperity

ICBC |

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

ASIAN GAMES BOXING TO OFFER PARIS 2024 QUALIFICATION

There will be much more to fight for than a gold medal when the Asian Games boxing competition gets underway in Hangzhou next September – a place in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

With the International Olympic Committee refusing to recognize the sport’s governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA), the IOC has taken control of the boxing qualification and has designated the 19th Asian Games as the continental qualifying competition for Paris 2024.

Accordingly, the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee has adjusted the competition while keeping the same number of events at 13. There will now be seven men’s weight categories and six women’s divisions to match Paris 2024, as opposed to eight men’s and five women’s events on the provisional Hangzhou programme.

The Chairman of the OCA Sports Committee, Song Luzeng, said the IOC would nominate the Technical Delegates and International Technical Officials (ITO) coming from other continents to Hangzhou rather than from Asia for the sake of transparency and fair judging. The Asian ITOs will take charge of qualification events in other continents.

“The OCA and HAGOC will coordinate directly with the IOC for the qualification events for the sport of boxing,” he added.

Following the five continental phases of the quota place allocation, two world qualification tournaments are planned to be held in 2024.

A total of 13 weight categories will be contested at Paris 2024.

Men (7): 51kg, 57kg, 63.5kg, 71kg, 80kg, 92kg, +92kg Women (6): 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 66kg, 75kg

Jordan hosted the Asia/Oceania boxing qualifier for Tokyo 2020. The Hangzhou Asian Games will be used for Paris 2024. (Photo: JOC)

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

ASIAN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CAMP RETURNS WITH DIVING

The OCA’s popular Asian Youth Development Project made a welcome return to the calendar with diving in the spotlight –but it was diving with a difference.

As usual, the OCA invited the 45 National Olympic Committees to send two young athletes (one female and one male) along with a coach to the camp, which took place in Malaysia from August 15-21. But this time the invitation extended to judging, too, with NOCs offered the chance to send one diving judge to the camp for expert tuition and guidance from a leading FINA instructor.

The format worked a treat, as the three elements of the camp came together over the last two days and the teams of poolside judges awarded scores to the divers in a series of mini-competitions as the coaches looked on to see what their students had learned.

“We are very happy with the way the camp developed and evolved as the week progressed,” said Tony Tarraf, Head of Athletes’ Development Department and Special Projects, OCA.

“The aim of the youth camp is always to benefit the young athletes and their coaches, but this time we introduced the judging aspect because it’s important that coaches and judges work together.

“By focusing on the athletes and coaches from the start of the camp and then adding the judging element midway through, this produced a really enjoyable finale in which everyone was working and learning together.

“We are sure that the young divers, coaches and judges took away a lot of information from the camp and can transfer this knowledge and experience in their home countries to benefit the sport of diving long-term throughout the continent.”

NOTE: The OCA plans to turn the attention to winter sports at the next youth camp and a sport in which Asia excels at the Olympic Games – figure skating.

Asian Diving Youth Camp

Dates: August 15-21, 2022

Host city: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

HQ: The Pearl Kuala Lumpur Venue: National Aquatic Centre, Bukit Jalil NOCs: 16

Athletes: 28 (10 female, 18 male) Coaches: 15 Judges: 18

Diving coach: Shannon Roy (Australia) Judging instructor: Matz Lindberg (Sweden)

Held in cooperation with: Olympic Council of Malaysia, Malaysia Swimming, FINA, Asia Swimming Federation.

Judges show their scores.

Athletes listen and learn in the dry gym.

The divers and coaches attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Diving Youth Camp. (Photo: Olympic Council of Malaysia)

MOTHER AND SON TEAM UP IN DIVING DREAM

Mother and son Bana Zein and Saeed Damaj put Lebanon on the diving map by attending the OCA youth camp in Kuala Lumpur.

While 11-year-old Saeed was among the 28 athletes, his mother was taking her first steps on the road to becoming a diving judge.

Saeed was already a keen swimmer, gymnast and triathlete when the family moved from Lebanon to Qatar one year ago.

He continued with his swimming at the Aspire complex in Doha and, with his gymnastics background, took an instant liking for the diving board.

“When they saw him, they advised us to go into diving,” said Bana. “Once he started in diving the coach said he would be a good diver in the future, so we continued and we liked the sport – and I decided to learn more about it.

“It’s a fun sport, it’s beauty. It’s nice to see them diving. I am very interested in diving. I like to watch them.”

Saeed started diving only five months ago and has already won a diving competition in Qatar. His mother takes him to training every day and, through this, she has developed a love for the sport, too; which took her to Kuala Lumpur for the judging section of the camp.

As Bana makes inquiries about attending a FINA Certification School, the family has already put Lebanon on the diving map at this OCA camp.

“There is no diving in Lebanon,” Bana said. “Saeed is the first one in Lebanon. I talked to the Lebanese Swimming Federation and they told me they will put his name down - he is the first one to dive in Lebanon. If I get to be a judge, I will be the first one, too.”

So, as a mother and an aspiring diving judge, how does Bana judge Saeed as a son?

“It is difficult for me to judge him,” she laughs. “I know his bad points and I know his good points. It’s difficult.”

Ready for take-off.

Bana Zein and her son Saeed Damaj at the Pearl Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo: OCA)

Athletes wait their turn to perform.

KUWAITI SISTERS PURSUE ‘PRECIOUS GOAL’ AS JUDGES

The warm embrace between a couple of participants at the OCA school for diving told its own story – that two sisters were very much a part of the group.

Shayma MEHA Altabbakh and her younger sister Altaf Mahmoud Altabbakh travelled all the way from Kuwait to join the three-day judging workshop under the OCA’s week-long diving youth camp in Malaysia.

The hug and mutual congratulations followed the receipt of their scores from the FINA diving development examination earlier in the day.

Shayma had scored 90 per cent and younger sister Altaf managed 95 per cent from the 20-question test – putting them both in high spirits as they look ahead to one day sitting the official FINA certification examination to become a qualified international judge.

“This is our precious goal,” said 40-year-old Shayma, who has been judging locally for nine years, two years longer than Altaf, 38.

Neither of the sisters had any diving experience before they began the local certification process in Kuwait but they have a deep appreciation of the sport, ambition to be an international judge and a thorough knowledge of the rules to put them on the right course.

Shayma added: “I would like to give my great appreciation and gratefulness for the Olympic Council of Asia for this opportunity

that they were nominating me for and, of course, the referees who are giving us the information - and everyone who was responsible for me being here. I am so grateful for this chance.

“The next goal is to get the international certification. This is our greatest goal and we will work on that, hopefully.

“The OCA camp is a very great opportunity for us to develop the knowledge we have already. It’s a great experience to meet up with judges from different countries because it is enriching our experience. We have gained a lot of knowledge.”

Kuwaiti sisters Altaf (left) and Shayma Altabbakh are aiming for excellence as diving judges.

A Malaysian coach supervises the students.

Vietnam coach Hoang Thanh Tra, 34, won a SEA Games silver medal in Kuala Lumpur in 2001.

Asian Diving Youth Camp

FINA INSTRUCTOR WELCOMES JUDGING/COACHING COMBO

The OCA’s diving development camp was described as a “fantastic” initiative by experienced FINA instructor Matz Lindberg of Sweden.

“I think this is something unique from the Olympic Council of Asia – to have this development,” he said.

“I believe the OCA has done this with other sports but doing it with diving is fantastic because this will bring more countries to get more involved in diving and have more diving in the country.

“The kids that I have seen here are very good; I think they are the coming future for Asia, especially in diving.”

The young divers were aged under 13 and Lindberg said this was the perfect age for them to grow into the sport.

“They are starting at an age where they are having fun and they are also not ready physically and mentally - but they are growing up with it; they are growing up with diving and they are getting an interest in the sport and making friends.

“Making friends is also a part of our sport because, if you have friends in the sport, you will stay there longer and you will have a lot of fun together.”

Lindberg, who is a member of the FINA Technical Diving Committee as well as sitting on the development board and judges sub-committee, said this was the first youth camp he had attended that featured divers, coaches and judges.

“I think it’s a very good idea because then you can talk to each other, the coaches and the judges. There is a similarity between judging and coaching anyway because we are looking at diving and we are looking at the performance of the dive.”

He added that, while coaches were looking for technique, judges were focusing more on what the rule book says.

“If we do understand each other then we can work together and find a future for diving which could be in development all the time.”

Matz Lindberg briefs the judges. (Photo: OCA)

Friends for life - Iraq and Kazakhstan.

Divers are silhouetted against the skyline.

OCA SIGNS MOU FOR ASIAN

The Olympic Council of Asia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Jeongseon county in Gangwon province to establish the Asian Olympic Academy in Korea.

Three parties signed the MoU in a ceremony at the InterContinental Seoul COEX Hotel on Thursday, October 20: OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam, Jeongseon County Chief Seung Jun Choi and the Chair of the OCA Education Committee, His Highness Prince Fahad bin Jalawi of Saudi Arabia.

Mr Al-Musallam said the signing ceremony was a “very important step” for the development of Olympic education in Asia.

“The Asian Olympic Academy has been a long time in the planning, 20 years, not just the idea but also the manual and the work, but not implemented,” said Mr Al-Musallam. “Now it has happened. It is very good for the future.”

OLYMPIC ACADEMY

OCA ATHLETES’ COMMITTEE WEBINAR ATTRACTS 98 PARTICIPANTS

The OCA Athletes Committee, under the leadership of Tokyo 2020 Sports Director Mikako Kotani, conducted a webinar on August 3 with the input of the IOC. The topics included safeguarding and the prevention of manipulation of competition.

There was a very strong turnout of NOC Athletes Committees (AC), with 40 ACs participating. In addition, two NOCs (Lebanon and UAE) had athlete representatives, giving a total of 42 ACs/NOCs.

The 98 participants included 24 AC Chairs. The objectives of the OCA AC Webinar were to introduce the OCA AC strategy and role and provide details on the new Athlete-Centered Project Fund; to highlight and explain the importance of having an Athletes Committee and the important role it should play to support athletes on and off the field of play; to share experiences with different Athletes Committees; and to raise awareness.

OCA Acting President Raja Randhir Singh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Olympic Academy President, Isidoros Kouvelos, in Riyadh on Friday, October 28.

This MoU is in the framework of the OCA decision to establish an education sub-office in Riyadh under the initiative of the Chair of the OCA Education Committee, His Highness Prince Fahad bin Jalawi.

Mikako Kotani (Tokyo 2020)

The signing ceremony for the Asian Olympic Academy. (Photo: Yeon Kang)

OCA BREAKS NEW GROUND WITH WINTER GAMES AWARD

The 41st OCA General Assembly will go down in history as the meeting which broke new ground for the winter sports movement in Asia.

The highlight of the General Assembly was undoubtedly the award of the 2029 Asian Winter Games to Trojena, Saudi Arabia. It will be the ninth edition of the AWG but the first to be held in West Asia/Middle East – in a country known more for its sweeping desert landscape.

As the OCA Acting President, Raja Randhir Singh, commented in his closing address: “It is a pleasant surprise that Saudi Arabia will be hosting the next Asian Winter Games. It shows the role the OCA is playing in sports development in Asia and the world.”

The General Assembly overall felt like a fresh start for the OCA after two years of hybrid meetings conducted largely online.

With only a handful of exceptions, all the NOCs this time

attended in person and were joined by large delegations of games organising committees and other stakeholders including the IOC and ANOC, led by the Acting ANOC President, Dr Robin Mitchell.

“It feels like we are back to normal,” Raja Randhir said.

“We have two games coming up next year and are already planning for several more. Now it’s time to fill all the gaps that have been left by the pandemic years.”

Raja Randhir expressed his gratitude to the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, who opened the General Assembly, the Royal Cambodian Government and the President of NOC Cambodia, Dr Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism.

“We thank you for your support, cooperation and hospitality and look forward to Cambodia hosting a successful SEA Games/ASEAN Para Games in 2023 and Asian Youth Games in 2029,” he added.

OCA General Assembly coverage: Page 21, Overview; Page 22, Welcome to Trojena 2029 Asian Winter Games; Page 23, OCA General Assembly decisions; Pages 24-25, Photo Gallery; Page 26, OCA Merit Award and Sheikh Fahad Hiroshima Sports Science Award; Page 27, Doha 2030 Project Legacy; Page 28, IOC President’s video address.

Raja Randhir Singh sits alongside Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the opening ceremony on Tuesday, October 4.

ASIAN WINTER GAMES 2029 HEADING TO SAUDI ARABIA

Trojena in north-west Saudi Arabia will become the first city in West Asia to host the Asian Winter Games after being given the green light at the General Assembly.

Following a slick and futuristic presentation, the delegation from the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) were rewarded with the unanimous approval of the General Assembly.

This means that the Asian Winter Games – the OCA’s second longest-running event after the Asian Games, having started in 1986 – will break new ground and head for the deserts and mountains of the Middle East in 2029.

The President of the SOPC, HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal, described it as an “important moment” for Saudi Arabia and Asia.

“This is a great victory for the Saudi nation and for the people of the Gulf countries,” said Prince Abdulaziz.

“It is due to the generous support offered to the Saudi sports sector that significantly contributes to the progress of sport and all other fields in the Kingdom to deliver the objectives of the Saudi 2030 vision.

“This achievement also highlights the enormous potential and the outstanding infrastructure of Saudi Arabia to host and organise international-level sports competitions and Games successfully,” he added.

Trojena is part of Neom’s regional plan and is located 50km from the Gulf of Aqaba coast in the heart of the Kingdom’s nature region, with elevations ranging from 1,500m to 2,600m and covering an area of nearly 60 square kilometers. Trojena will offer year-round outdoor skiing and adventure sports on completion in 2026.

Eng. Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of Neom, added: “Trojena will have a suitable infrastructure to create the winter atmosphere in the heart of the desert to make the Winter Games edition in Trojena an unprecedented global event.”

Trojena 2029

Two competition clusters: one for snow sports and one for ice sports

47 events: 28 snow events and 19 ice events Games legacy: Creating a winter sports hub for all of Asia

A single Asian Games Village 14 luxury hotels encircling the sports venues Powered 100 per cent with renewable energy

The host city contract for Trojena 2029 is signed at the General Assembly on October 4.

KUWAIT NOC PROPOSES AL-MUSALLAM FOR OCA PRESIDENT

The Kuwait Olympic Committee has proposed its Secretary General, Husain Al-Musallam, as the next President of the Olympic Council of Asia if the current President, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, is not cleared in his appeal in November.

The proposal was put forward by the Deputy Secretary General of the KOC, Ali Al-Marri, at the OCA General Assembly. The next term as President will run from 2023-2027.

Mr Al-Marri said that, if Sheikh Ahmad were acquitted in the Swiss courts, he would retain his position as OCA President.

“If Sheikh Ahmad is not cleared, we nominate Husain Al-Musallam as President of the OCA,” said Mr Al-Marri, before describing the OCA Director General and FINA President as “one of the people who built the OCA step by step, brick by brick”.

Mr Al-Marri also requested for Kuwait to remain the home of the OCA “forever” as it has been HQ for over four decades.

The house also approved unanimously the following points during the General Assembly:

Holding of the Athletes Forum in Bangkok in March/April 2023

Establishment of OCA Sub Office for Culture & Education in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Formation of the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association with Mr. Gordon Tang as its President

Not to allow Sheikh Talal Mohammad Al Sabah, President, Asian Bowling Federation (ABF), to participate in any OCA events or Asian Games. Bowling will continue to be part of the Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games.

Authorized the Director General OCA to take all appropriate measures (legal or otherwise) to protect the interest

Create an investment office in Singapore.

The new marketing standards of the OCA.

To appoint Dr. Kamal Hadidi as Co-Chair of the Anti-Doping Commission.

The Articles on the Asian Games in the OCA Constitution should be converted into Bye-laws. This will enable any amendments in the future to accommodate changes. This is exactly done by the IOC for the Olympic Games in the Olympic Charter.

There cannot be two members in the OCA Executive Board from the same NOC except from the Asian Games host country.

The OCA Athletes Forum will return next spring in Bangkok, in either March or April 2023. The most recent Athletes’ Forum was held in Tokyo in November 2018.

OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam.

(Photo: OCA)

41st OCA General Assembly

Photo Gallery

The top table delegates stand in silence to honour prominent sports officials who had passed away.

Good morning Laos! (Photo: NOC Laos)

Tony Tarraf presents the OCA's Olympic Solidarity continental development programme.

POC President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino led the Philippines delegation in Cambodia.

HAGOC Deputy Mayor Chen Weiqiang addresses the 41st OCA General Assembly. (Photo: HAGOC)

41st OCA General Assembly

Photo Gallery

ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg updates the General Assembly on the activities and events of the Association of National Olympic Committees.

The Thai Fighting Parrot mascot is looking forward to the AIMAG presentation. (Photo: Zamri Hamdani)

Lida Tay (second from right) and her Cambodian colleagues provided a warm welcome to Phnom Penh.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen opens the General Assembly.

Timor-Leste NOC Secretary General Laurentino Guterres (centre) in networking mode.

OCA PRESENTS MERIT AWARD TO SEA REGION STALWARTS

Two long-serving leaders of the Olympic sports movement in South East Asia were presented with the OCA Award of Merit at the 41st OCA General Assembly in Phnom Penh on October 4.

The President of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, Dr. Thong Khon, received the prestigious award on his home ground, while the Secretary General of the Vietnam Olympic Committee, Tran Van Manh, was rewarded for his years of sterling service in his home country, the SEA region and in Asia.

The pair received their Merit Awards from the OCA Acting President, Raja Randhir Singh, and OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam.

Apart from heading the NOC, Dr. Thong Khon is also the Kingdom’s Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the South East Asian (SEA) Games Federation Council. He is also President of the Cambodian Gymnastics Federation.

“Receiving the OCA Award of Merit is the greatest honour for the whole Cambodian Olympic family,” he said.

“This award has motivated me and the whole of the sports movement in Cambodia to make more effort to achieve the goal of building a better world through the Olympic movement.

“In particular, it also strongly motivates the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Cambodia to assure the successful hosting of the 2023 SEA Games-ASEAN Para Games and the 5th Asian Youth Games 2029.”

Tran Van Manh is President of the Vietnam Hockey Federation and Secretary General of the South East Asian Games Sports Federation. He was also Secretary General of the Danang 2016 Asian Beach Games Organising Committee.

TWO doctors were bestowed with the 7th Sheikh Fahad Hiroshima-Asia Sports Medicine and Science Award: Sri Lanka’s Dr. Chathuranga Ranasinghe and Singaporean Dr. Marcus Lee.

“I’m really honoured to be given this esteemed award. It makes me even more proud being the first Sri Lankan to achieve this tribute,” said Dr. Chathuranga (pictured left). Singapore NOC Secretary General Chris Chan accepted the award on behalf of Dr. Lee.

Dr. Thong Khon receives the OCA Merit Award.

Tran Van Manh receives the OCA Merit Award.

QOC ANNOUNCES DOHA 2030 PROJECT LEGACY

The Qatar Olympic Committee used the stage of the OCA General Assembly to announce Project Legacy of the Doha 2030 Asian Games.

Project Legacy How it works

To apply: NOCs will be invited twice a year to complete an online application form through the Doha 2030 Asian Games legacy page.

Project Legacy will ensure targeted assistance for NOCs across:

Local and regional elite training camps

Social and cultural camps for youth engagement

Athlete development

Training and professional certification for NOC personnel

Lectures and knowledge-sharing

Medical & anti-doping workshops

Equipment provision

Facility co-development Medical support

NOTE: To ensure transparency and no overlap with any OCA project, an independent Technical Evaluation Committee of OCA representatives will lead the approval process.

The innovative and unique project will be available for all Asia’s National Olympic Committees over the next eight years and will offer benefits in areas such as athlete development, training for NOC personnel and equipment provision.

Project Legacy is made possible by Doha already having all the infrastructure in place to host a world-class Asian Games in 2030 across 54 sports and disciplines in 39 state-of-the-art venues.

QOC Secretary General and OCA Vice President to the 2030 Asian Games, H.E Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, said: “We have been working with the OCA to ensure that Doha 2030 benefits all of Asia’s NOCs and its athletes.

“Qatar is committed to ensuring that not only Team Qatar excels but all of Asia’s athletes excel as well. That process has already begun and is already bearing fruit.”

The QOC’s Marketing and Communications Director, Sheikha Asma Thani Al-Thani, added: “Project Legacy will create diverse opportunities for partnership and engagement within Asia’s Olympic family.

“It will also contribute to sustainable athlete development pathways and enhanced athlete performance. So that, come 2030, every NOC has the chance to send their strongest team and achieve their best results at an Asian Games.

“We can reassure Asian NOCs that we are delivering on the promises we made to you. And we will continue to do so over the next eight years to bring you and your athletes lasting benefits and guarantee a world-class Asian Games.”

QOC President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani will head Project Legacy. (Photo: QOC) Sheikha Asma delivers her presentation. (Photo: QOC)

IOC PRESIDENT: ASIA HAS CREATED OLYMPIC HISTORY

IOC President Thomas Bach praised the “remarkable energy, dynamism, resilience and can-do spirit” of Asia in staging three straight Olympic Games from 2018-2022 during his video address at the General Assembly.

“With the unprecedented Asian cycle of three consecutive editions of Olympic Games now behind us, the Olympic community in all of Asia can look back with great pride,” he said.

“Starting with the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, to the postponed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, you can truly say Asia has written sporting history; Asia has written Olympic history.

“This is why, as you gather for your General Assembly, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude for your great contribution to the success of this remarkable Asian Olympic cycle.

“Each of these Olympic Games faced unprecedented challenges, political conflict and tensions, a global pandemic that is still ongoing as we speak. And yet each, in their own unique way, these three successive Olympic Games editions have shown the remarkable energy, the dynamism, the resilience and can-do spirit for which we admire Asia so much.

“Your athletes have led the way in showcasing this spirit with their unforgettable Olympic performances.”

With his video message drawing all eyes to the big screen in the vast hall, Bach also spoke of the future in Asia and the need for solidarity in building the post-pandemic world.

“Building on these past successes, you have every opportunity at your General Assembly to set the course for the future of sport in Asia with great confidence.”

President Bach concluded: “I would like to thank all of you at OCA, under the great leadership of your Acting President, Raja Randhir Singh, for leading the way to promote sport in society throughout Asia.

“Our partnership is the perfect illustration of our new Olympic motto: ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger –Together’. For this reason, I am extending the hand of the entire Olympic Movement to all of you at OCA to work together for a better world through sport.”

IOC President Thomas Bach delivers his video message. (Photo: OCA)

OCA MEETS LEADERS OF 20TH ASIAN GAMES AICHI-NAGOYA

The Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, Husain Al-Musallam, met with leaders of Nagoya city and Aichi prefecture on Saturday, October 22 to discuss preparations for the 20th Asian Games in Japan in 2026.

The host delegation was led by the Governor of Aichi prefecture, Hideaki Omura, and the Mayor of Nagoya, Takashi Kawamura.

The OCA delegation, which also included Vinod Kumar Tiwari, Director of International and National Olympic Committee Relations, and OCA Executive Board honorary member Taha Al Kishry of Oman, was briefed on the progress of preparations for the 20th Asian Games.

The topics included the sports programme, competition venues and opening and closing ceremonies as well as a timeline and countdown towards the 2026 Asiad.

The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi prefecture and Nagoya city from September 19 to October 4, 2026 under the slogan “Imagine One Asia”.

Although the sports programme is not yet confirmed, there will be around 40 sports, comprised of 32 sports selected for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, five regional sports from the OCA’s five zones and a maximum of two sports each proposed by organising committee AINAGOC and by the OCA.

The provisional list of venues sees the football tournament spreading the Asian Games far and wide, with the nine stadiums including Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Kyoto Stadium, Nagai Stadium in Osaka and the Universiade Memorial Stadium in Kobe.

The main venue of the 20th Asian Games will be Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, close to the main Athletes’ Village and Main Media Centre.

AINAGOC is planning for a maximum of 15,000 athletes and team officials from the OCA’s 45 National Olympic Committees.

The OCA and AINAGOC meeting in Nagoya on Saturday.

Organising committee AINAGOC marked four years to go to the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games on September 19, 2022.

THAILAND PREPARES TO WELCOME OCA FOR AIMAG 6

The OCA’s sixth Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Thailand next year will offer a rich and varied sports programme to suit both elements of the competition, organisers reported to the OCA General Assembly in Cambodia.

With the recent addition of the indoor Baseball5 to the sports programme, there will be 34 medal sports, two demonstration sports and a total of 336 events.

The 34 medal sports are comprised of 25 indoor games and nine martial arts, while the two demonstration sports are Air Sport – FPV Racing (drones) and teqball, which tests soccer skills on a curved, table tennis-sized playing area.

Dato’ Seri Chaiyapak Siriwat, OCA Vice President and Vice President of NOC Thailand, gave a progress report on preparations to the OCA Executive Board and General Assembly and said the stage was set for Thailand to demonstrate once again its passion for the Olympic movement in Asia and its capability in hosting an international multi-sport event.

AIMAG 6, originally scheduled for 2021, will run from November 17-26, 2023 in Bangkok and the coastal province of Chonburi, well known for the tourist hot spot Pattaya.

Fourteen venues have been selected in Bangkok, including the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) complex, and seven in Chonburi, with the travel time between the two host cities around 1 hour 25 minutes on the expressway.

The first OCA Coordination Committee meeting for the 6th AIMAG was scheduled for November 14-15, with a visit to Chonburi included in the itinerary.

WBSC CELEBRATES BASEBALL5 INCLUSION IN AIMAG 6

The World Baseball Softball Confederation celebrated the addition of the indoor Baseball5 to the sports porgramme of AIMAG 6 in Thailand next year.

The proposal to add the quick-fire, no-equipment form of baseball was put to the OCA Executive Board on October 3 and approved by the General Assembly the following day.

“Great news, WBSC – Asia,” WBSC Secretary General and Softball Asia President Low Beng Choo reported from Cambodia.

“Baseball5 confirmed included in 6th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Bangkok - Chonburi 2023 (17-26 Nov). Asia - get your teams ready for participation through your NOC.”

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari added: “The confirmation of Baseball5 on another international multi-sport programme is testament to its growing popularity around the world.

“The recent Baseball5 Asia Cup proved how successful our latest discipline is in terms of engaging new participants and new audiences and I look forward to seeing this continue

at the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games."

The first edition of the Baseball5 Asia Cup was held in Kuala Lumpur in August. Champions Chinese Taipei, runners-up Japan and third-placed Korea all qualified for the inaugural WBSC Baseball5 World Cup in Mexico City from November

Baseball5 will be played at AIMAG 6 in Thailand. (Photo: WBSC)

SAUDI ARABIA PRESENTS LONG-TERM HOSTING STRATEGY

In the build-up to hosting the OCA’s showpiece event, the Asian Games, for the first time in 2034, Saudi Arabia is leaving nothing to chance.

The President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, has produced a long-term hosting strategy to make sure the 22nd Asiad will run like clockwork.

The plans are already up and running with the Saudi Games 2022 - the largest national sports event in the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Hosted in Riyadh from October 27-November 7, the Saudi Games involved 6,000 athletes and 2,000 technical and administrative officials representing more than 200 clubs across the Kingdom. The 45 sports, including five Paralympic sports, were held in 20 venues.

The next step on the road to 2034 will be the World Combat Games in October 2023, followed by the 7th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Riyadh in 2025.

Although no dates have been set for AIMAG 7, it will take place in the fourth quarter of the year. Organisers used the stage of the 41st OCA General Assembly in Cambodia on October 4 to launch the logo for the event.

The OCA awarded Saudi Arabia a third games at the General Assembly with the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Trojena, Neom megacity in the north-west of the Kingdom.

After the signing of the host city contract, HH Prince Fahad bin Jalawi, SOPC Vice President, commented: “We are sparing no effort to push Saudi sports forward alongside the most advanced countries in the world.”

The 2029 Asian Winter Games award now means that the OCA has nine multi-sport games locked into the calendar through to 2034, with others to be added in the near future as the sports world recovers from the lost years of the pandemic.

Saudi Arabia is playing a big part in this recovery.

OCA Games 2023 – 2034

2023

19th Asian Games Hangzhou, China (September 23 – October 8)

6th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand (November 17 – 26)

2025

Asian Youth Games Tashkent, Uzbekistan (dates to be decided)

7th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (fourth quarter)

2026

20th Asian Games Aichi/Nagoya, Japan (September 19 – October 4)

2029

Asian Winter Games Trojena, Saudi Arabia

Asian Youth Games Phnom Penh, Cambodia 2030

21st Asian Games Doha, Qatar 2034

22nd Asian Games Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

HH Prince Fahad bin Jalawi, SOPC Vice President, launches the torch relay for the Saudi Games 2022.

Asian Games for All

CAMBODIA HOSTS FIRST OVERSEAS ASIAN GAMES FUN RUN

Cambodia had the honour of hosting the first overseas Asian Games Fun Run for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September 2023.

The event took place on October 2, two days before the 41st OCA General Assembly in Phnom Penh, and attracted over 800 runners over two courses, 3km and 5km.

The Vice Mayor of Hangzhou and Deputy Secretary General of Asian Games organising committee HAGOC, Chen Weiqiang, and NOC Cambodia Secretary General Vath Chamroeun took it in turn to fire the gun to start the two races.

The Asian Games Fun Run is one of three elements of the Asian Games for All promotional campaign along with the Asian Games Youth Reporter Project and Asian Games children’s art competition.

The OCA, in cooperation with HAGOC, is hoping to hold between 15 and 20 fun runs over the next few months. And they’re off! The

CHINESE TAIPEI NOC PROMOTES CREATIVITY AND SPORT

he Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee organised a children’s art competition as part of the OCA’s Asian Games for All promotional campaign.

The organisers received a total of 143 entries depicting the Asian Games, sports and athletes from children and youth aged 13 and below.

A judging team selected 10 “superior” works, 10 “first-rate” entries and 10 “excellent” works, from five girls and five boys in each section. The list of winners was released on the CTOC official website on August 8 and the top entries received prizes and certificates.

“The Asian Games children’s art competition offers an excellent opportunity for our primary school students to express their imagination and understanding of the Hangzhou Asian Games and to show their support for their favourite athletes or favourite sport through paintings and drawings,” CTOC said.

Asian Games Fun Run is underway in Phnom Penh. (Photo: HAGOC)

The judging panel had a tough choice to pick the best works from 143 entries.

We need Asia to be following all the international standards and especially to increase the participation of women in sport at the decision-making level, in participation, in the officials or in the coaches. We are very happy now to see 42 NOCs represented in person and the others online. We have had a very good and fruitful discussion and we learn also from the IOC, from United Nations, from UNESCO, from Red Cross how important it is to engage the women and the girls in day-to-day activity. Sport is a mirror for what’s happening in society. If we have a correct society, correct sport, correct practice of sport within society we will have a safer society. – Husain Al Musallam, OCA Director General.

OCA GENDER EQUITY SEMINAR HERALDS ‘NEW ERA’

The Olympic Council of Asia’s Gender Equity Seminar marked the start of a new era for the women in sport movement throughout the continent, according to the Chair of the OCA Gender Equity, Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa. Sheikha Hayat was speaking at the closing ceremony of the two-day seminar, which was held in Manama, Bahrain from October 30-31 in conjunction with the Bahrain Olympic Committee.

The seminar was attended by delegates from 42 National Olympic Committees, plus one NOC online, as well as the Acting OCA President, Raja Randhir Singh, and the OCA Director General, Husain Al Musallam.

The OCA assembled an impressive list of speakers and panellists from various international organisations, including the IOC, United Nations, UNESCO and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The NOC delegates, meanwhile, worked in small groups to discuss three main topics:

women’s representation and participation best practices to enhance gender equity grassroots strategies.

After reading out the list of recommendations from the NOC workshops, Sheikha Hayat said: “Let me assure you that, after this landmark event, there will be a follow-up system from the OCA to implement all these recommendations with the cooperation of all NOCs.

“It is our time now to shift to a new era, with the assistance of the OCA and your esteemed NOCs - because there is a crucial role for NOCs to implement these recommendations. Also, we need your cooperation.

“As the IOC President, Mr Thomas Bach, said, ‘all of us together, we will reach our goal’. So, hopefully, I think in the next seminar – I don’t know when it will be – we will get a tangible result for that.”

Sheikha Hayat (centre) presents souvenirs to the seven speakers/panellists. (Photo: OCA)

IOC EB MEMBERS TRACE 'LONG JOURNEY' FOR GENDER EQUITY

Two Asian members of the IOC Executive Board, HRH Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein of Jordan and Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski of the Philippines, set the scene for the quest for gender equity on the opening morning of the seminar.

Prince Faisal, President of Jordan NOC, said it had been a “long journey” but that the Olympic sports movement was making progress in terms of female representation. He used the ANOC General Assembly as a reference point.

“The first time I attended the ANOC General Assembly in 2006, less than 10 per cent of the room were female,” he said. “Last week, at the ANOC General Assembly in Seoul, I was very glad to see that about a third of the participants were women. That, to me, means we are making progress.

“It is an ongoing journey – a journey you all have to make,” he told the seminar. “It is only together that we can make that difference. We still have a long way to go.”

Mikee, an Asian Games equestrian champion in showjumping at Busan 2002, when she was a 28-year-old mother-of-two, described it as a “process”.

“As a woman and a mother, I am teaching my three sons to respect women. It is not just about love, it is about respect,” she said.

Mikee added that her journey to the IOC Executive Board began with a seat on the the OCA Athletes Committee, and admitted: “I learn along the way.”

Malhotra told the audience that her inspiration for this role came when she visited an archery tournament in Nagaland, northeast India, in which there were no female competitors; yet, in the field behind the venue, she saw girls playing with their own bows and arrows made from sticks, as their family duty was to collect

Chusovitina, 47, said she planned to compete at Paris 2024 and hoped to win a medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games next

The first-day speakers included retired Indian tennis pro Manisha Malhotra, who is head of sports excellence and scouting for JSW Sports in India, and Uzbekistan’s eight-time

Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski - IOC EB member from the Philippines.

HRH Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein - IOC EB member from Jordan.

His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, has a chat with Acting OCA President Raja Randhir Singh.

OCA Gender Equity Seminar

NOCS PRESENT SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Four National Olympic Committees to have benefited from the OCA’s Social Development Through Olympism initiative presented their activities to the house during the Gender Equity Seminar.

Under the Olympic Solidarity Continental Programme, the OCA has established a fund of 100,000 USD for each of the four years of the Olympic cycle to enable NOCs to host events connected with social development though Olympism and education. This includes the empowerment of women and girls.

Each NOC can apply for a maximum of 10,000 USD per year, and the NOCs of Mongolia, Bahrain, Cambodia and Bhutan outlined the projects they have carried out under this banner.

These included Bhutan Olympic Committee’s “Boxing for Girls – Inspiring the Next Generation” campaign. The brand ambassador is Bhutan’s South Asian Games bronze medal-winning boxer Tandin Lhamo, who now trains 20 girls in her academy.

Bhutan Olympic Committee reported that its Gender Equity Committee is now targeting other sports in rural areas while strengthening safeguarding and developing a safe sports strategy in which the young girls will feel safe and free to pursue their passion for sport.

Between them, the four NOCs provided tried and trusted projects under this theme for other NOCs to introduce and take advantage of the funding available from the OCA.

Manisha Malhotra joins the panel discussion.

Sonam Yangchen, Chair of the Gender and Equity Committee of Bhutan Olympic Committee, makes her presentation in Bahrain. (Photo: BOC)

NOC delegates provide recommendations from the workshop.

Women in Sport

YEMEN NOC STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION

Yemen Olympic Committee, in association with the women’s sector in the Ministry of Youth, organised a sports science course to focus on the importance of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

The course was held in the library hall of the Belqis Club in Sanaa and was attended by female referees and coaches.

Yemen NOC Secretary General Mohamed Abdullah Al Ahjeri said the course had been very successful and had demonstrated the enthusiasm and commitment of the female participants who all gained high marks.

He added that sports nutrition was just one aspect of a successful career and said that the National Olympic Committee would give full support to the women’s sports sector in terms of training and qualification and other programmes in the coming years.

A total of 36 referees and coaches attended the course and received a participation certificate.

BHUTAN FOOTBALLER ‘TOMMY’ HEADS FOR SAUDI ARABIA

Bhutan international Deki Lhazom, 18, has become the first women’s player from her country to earn a professional contract overseas. After impressing, and scoring, in a friendly match in Saudi Arabia, she has been offered a contract to play in the domestic women’s league by the famous Al Ittihad club.

Deki, who is nicknamed “Tommy”, has been playing for the national team for three years. She said: “I got a good opportunity to play in Saudi for Al Ittihad Football Club and I am very excited to play and learn more about football from there.

“Obstacles and problems are just a matter of time. If you keep working hard and put your dedication into it, we can be what we dreamed of.”

Olympic Committee celebrated Teej at the NOC HQ in Satdobato, Lalitpur in Kathmandu on August 24.

Women representative of different National Sports Federations attended the Hindu celebration in which red is the dominant colour. Nepal NOC President Jeevan Ram Shrestha also joined in the festivities. Teej is the generic name for a number of Hindu festivals that are celebrated by women and girls between July and September and are marked with singing, dancing and prayer rituals.

The sports science course in Yemen. (@yemnoc)

Deki Lhazom in action. (Photo: Bhutan Olympic Committee)

OMAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ORGANISES OUTWARD CHALLENGE

Oman Olympic Committee, represented by the Oman Women’s Sports and Gender Equality Committee, organised the “Oman Challenge for Women Sports Leaders” from October 4-6.

The three-day programme was held in cooperation with Outward Bound Oman and attracted wide participation from women sports leaders, administrators and trainers from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, national sport federations, sports committees and the OOC Women’s Sports Committee.

The event aimed at strengthening the camaraderie among women in sport and team-building by providing them with life skills, including camping and hiking in the foothills of the Jebel Akhdar mountain range.

INDIAN track star Hima Das says she was “very blessed and thankful” to receive the Minister of Law and Justiceand former Sports Minister - Kiren Rijiju at her home village when he inaugurated Namghar at Kandulimari, Dhing in Assam. “He is one of the most dynamic, encouraging and highly inspiring personalities. Every meeting is so very motivating for me,” Hima, nicknamed the “Dhing Express”, said on her Facebook account which has 2 million followers. Namghar is a prayer house for congregational

in Assam state.

IRANIAN SHOOTER BOOKS TICKET FOR SECOND OLYMPIC GAMES

Sharp shooter Haniyeh Rostamiyan has become the first Iranian athlete to book a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, reports the Tehran Times.

The 24-year-old pistol shooter qualified for her second Olympics at the World Shooting Championships in Egypt.

At Tokyo 2020, she finished fifth in the 10m air pistol mixed team, 10th in the 10m air pistol women and 28th in the 25m pistol women. She was also one of Iran’s two flagbearers at the opening ceremony.

“It's a great honour for me to represent Iran in another Olympics, and I will try to take advantage of my experiences and get the best results in Paris,” Haniyeh said.

The Oman Challenge was held in conjunction with Outward Bound Oman. (Photo: @ooc.om)

Haniyeh Rostamiyan has qualified for Paris 2024. (Photo: Tehran Times)

worship

ANOC General Assembly and Awards

ANOC ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) elected a new President and Senior Vice President on the second day of the 26th General Assembly in Seoul on October 20.

After serving as Acting President since 2018, Dr. Robin Mitchell of Fiji was elected unopposed as President for the term 2022-2026.

The new ANOC Senior Vice President is HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, President of Qatar Olympic Committee, who was nominated by the Olympic Council of Asia and was also unopposed.

Dr. Mitchell said: “I am honoured to have been elected as ANOC President. The NOCs are a key pillar of the Olympic Movement and at ANOC we have a responsibility to ensure we are representing their interests and supporting them to the best of our ability.”

Senior Vice President Sheikh Joaan said he would “work tirelessly” in his new role.

“I greatly appreciate your support and the trust you have shown in me. I also thank the Olympic Council of Asia for their nomination,” he said.

“Working to represent the interests of ANOC and the entire NOC family to the best of my ability starts now and I am excited for what is to come.

“As we say in the Olympic Movement, we are stronger together and there is so much we can learn from each other.

“ANOC has a key role to play in facilitating the sharing of knowledge and resources among NOCs and providing support for NOCs so you can best serve your athletes and communities.

occasion” for Qatari sport.

ANOC – Asia 2022-2026

ANOC Senior Vice President: HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani (Qatar)

ANOC Vice President (Asia): HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani (Qatar)

ANOC Executive Council (5 members from Asia): Raja Randhir Singh (India), Timur Kulibayev (Kazakhstan), Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski (Philippines), Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul (Thailand), Li Lingwei (China).

Ex Officio Members, Chair ANOC Commissions include:

Gender Equity Commission: HRH Prince Faisal bin Al-Hussein (Jordan)

Events Commission: Timothy Fok (Hong Kong, China)

Sheikh Joaan – ANOC Senior Vice President 2022-2026.

Robin Mitchell – ANOC President 2022-2026. (Photo: ANOC)

INDONESIA NOC WELCOMES BEACH GAMES ‘HOMECOMING’

Indonesia Olympic Committee President Raja Sapta Oktohari told the ANOC General Assembly that the beach games will be coming home when Bali hosts the second ANOC World Beach Games next August 5-12, followed by the ANOC General Assembly on August 13-15.

Okto led the lively and informal Indonesian presentation for the World Beach Games and described the event as the “Dream Games” that would inspire a new generation of sports enthusiasts.

“You could say that this is a homecoming because the beach games were born in Bali in 2008 when the Olympic Council of Asia organised the first Asian Beach Games,” Okto said.

There will be 14 sports, including 10 core sports, in four venue clusters, with the main hub at Nusa Dua. The 1,500 athletes from 100 National Olympic Committees will use hotels near the beach, meaning there will be no transportation costs because all participants will be able to walk to the competition venues. So far, 41 NOCs have qualified.

The Bali presentation began with an explosion of dance and colour as a cultural team dressed in traditional Bali costumes

entered the hall of the General Assembly and paraded down the aisles before staging a moving performance.

After the video presentation featuring government ministers and the personal invitation from Okto, the official logo was revealed. Based on a Balinese mask and incorporating beach and sea elements such as a shell, wave, fish, crab, swimmer and boat, the logo was well received by the delegates.

The Indonesia NOC President and, at that time, Acting ANOC President Robin Mitchell then signed the host city contract for Bali 2023.

GANGWON 2024 PROVIDES WINTER YOG UPDATE

The Winter Youth Olympic Games will come to Asia for the first time when Gangwon province hosts the event from January 19-February 1, 2024 in four cities, organisers informed the ANOC General Assembly.

There will be seven sports, 15 disciplines and 81 events for the 1,900 athletes, and the Winter YOG will build on the legacy of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics by using many of the same venues, especially for the ice sports of short track, figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey and curling in the coastal city of Gangneung.

The total participants will be 6,000 from 70 NOCs, with the 1,900 athletes featuring 50-50 gender balance with 950 women and 950 men aged from 15-18.

Bali 2023 cultural performance at the ANOC General Assembly.

ASIA DOMINATES ANOC AWARDS WITH THREE TROPHY-WINNERS

Asia collected three prizes at the ANOC Awards at the COEX Auditorium in Seoul on Wednesday, October 19, including best female and best male athlete at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Korean short-tracker Hwang Dae-heon, 23, was named best male athlete after winning the 1500m gold medal and silver in the men’s 5000m relay. He also set an Olympic record in the 1000m.

Eileen Gu of China was the face of Beijing 2022 – before, during and after the Winter Games. At the age of 18, the freestyle skier won gold in big air and halfpipe and silver in slopestyle.

The third award for Asia was China as “Outstanding NOC” of Beijing 2022 by winning a record 15 medals, including nine gold, to finish third in the overall medal standings.

Hwang was asked how he retained the thrill of stepping on the ice every day.

“I think that excitement is my passion,” he replied.

“As long as I have that passion for my sport and for what I am doing, I will continue to strive and break through barriers - and then set new limits for myself which I will also try to overcome.”

Gu, now 19, was asked about the 1620 trick she performed to record gold in her first event – big air.

“The Olympics to me have always epitomized everything of what

sports should be. They celebrate excellence while also emphasizing sportsmanship and respect,” she replied.

“Sometimes, when you are at the Olympics, you find yourself having to do something you have never done before, not even in practice, at a moment of intense pressure - so intense you've never experienced anything like it before - all in the hopes that, maybe, with that one trick, 1620, you will be able to inspire girls just like you all over the world to take up the sport you love, to break their own boundaries, to create unity and define what’s possible.

“So, I would like to dedicate this award to all the incredible boundary-breaking pioneers that came before me but also especially to all the girls that come after me. You guys inspire me so much. I would also like to thank ANOC and the IOC for this incredible honour.”

ANOC Awards 2022

Male Team: Sweden men’s curling

Female Team: Canada women’s ice hockey

Mixed Team: Nick Baumgartner and Lindsay Jacobellis (USA, snowboard cross)

Male Athlete: Hwang Dae-heon (Korea, short track speed skating)

Female Athlete: Eileen Gu (China, freestyle skiing)

Outstanding Athlete Performance: Sven Kramer (Netherlands, speed skating)

Outstanding NOC: Chinese Olympic Committee

Contribution to the Olympic Movement: Sir Craig Reedie

The ANOC Awards winners for 2022. (Photo: ANOC)

CHINA’S EILEEN GU DECIDES IT’S TIME TO BE A TEENAGER AGAIN

The 19-year-old freestyle skier capped an amazing year by being named ANOC Female Athlete of Beijing 2022 at the ANOC Awards on Wednesday, October 19 after winning two gold medals and one silver at the Winter Olympics.

When the OCA asked her what she’d been doing since Beijing 2022 in February, Eileen replied: “I started school. I am a freshman in college now, so I have been taking quantum physics, I have been taking international relations, all these incredible classes that have really given me the opportunity to learn and grow.

“I have also been enjoying my time as a 19-year-old. I think sometimes people forget that I am a teenager still and it’s very important to me to have that normal life and normal friends, so I have been trying to lean into that.”

EILEEN ON BUTTERFLIES

Regarding the pressure on her in Beijing, she added: “I have always said that all the pressure at that final moment when it really counts is put on yourself.

“Any athlete will be able to attest to this. That is what is so beautiful about sport because it is such a shared experience. Everybody knows how it feels for those butterflies to threaten to make you explode from the inside out.

“For everybody to be able to understand that, regardless of societal divides like race, class, gender, nationality, is something that’s really powerful. So yes, I was definitely very nervous and there was an incredible amount of pressure on my shoulders but I am grateful for it.”

EILEEN ON MEDAL HAT-TRICK

Did she expect to win three Olympic medals, including two gold, in Beijing?

“Oh man! I am a very competitive person but I never would have dreamed that I would come away with three. It was absolutely mind-blowing and still difficult for me, I guess, to wrap my head around.”

EILEEN ON EDUCATION

When asked if she would be able to combine her studies at Stanford University with her fashion career and skiing on the road to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Eileen said: “I certainly hope so.

“I have been a full-time student my whole life and I’ve been very outspoken about the importance of education and the importance of a balanced lifestyle, so hopefully I will be able to live up to that and continue pursuing everything at the same time.”

After leaving the spotlight of the ANOC Awards and meeting the media back stage, Eileen remarked that she always thought sport represented a cross-cultural bridge –“and to be able to, I guess, use this platform of mine to hopefully do some good in the world is my biggest goal.”

Eileen Gu with her ANOC Award. (Photo: ANOC)

Eileen Gu won two gold medals and one silver at Beijing 2022. (Photo: Getty Images)

ASIA’S 1980S SPRINT QUEEN LYDIA DE VEGA DIES AGED

The pride of Philippines athletics, Lydia de Vega-Mercado, died on August 10 after a four-year battle with cancer. She was 57.

De Vega was known as the “Sprint Queen of Asia” after winning the 100m gold medal at consecutive Asian Games: New Delhi 1982 and Seoul 1986.

She was also a four-time Asian champion, won nine gold medals in five SEA Games appearances and represented her country at two Olympic Games: Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988.

“On behalf of our family, it is with absolute grief that I announce the death of my mother, Lydia De Vega, this evening, August 10, 2022, at the Makati Medical Center. She fought the very good fight and is now at peace,” her daughter, Steph Mercado, said on Facebook.

In recognition of her achievements on the track, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution conveying its condolences to the family and paying homage to her contributions to the country as a world-class athlete.

“Ms. Lydia De Vega-Mercado not only brought honor, pride and unparalleled distinction to our beloved country, but inspired so many more athletes to follow suit and follow their dreams. Ms. De Vega has virtually put our country on the map by being, at one time, the fastest woman in Asia,” Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said.

“Her legacy will live on in the hearts of millions of Filipinos who will remember her name and her legacy as one of the best and brightest shining stars of Philippine sports,” the Speaker added.

MALAYSIAN SPORT PAYS TRIBUTE TO

FORMER JOURNALIST

Malaysian sports journalist and blogger Satwant Singh Dhaliwal died at his hometown in Tampin on October 14. He was 59 and had been suffering from illness for six years.

Olympic Council of Malaysia President Tan Sri Norza Zakaria said: "On behalf of the sporting fraternity, I wish to express our deepest condolences on the passing of Satwant. His passion and obsession towards sports, especially hockey, is second to none. He regularly posted views on his blog and will be missed dearly by close friends in the sports fraternity."

There were also tributes from the National Sports Council, Football Association of Malaysia and Asian Hockey Federation.

She retired from competition in 1994 and her last public Asia’s sprint queen in the 1980s Lydia de Vega. (Photo: Far Eastern University)

FIE REMEMBERS IRANIAN FENCING LEGEND AHMAD AKBARI JAVID

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) was saddened to learn of the passing of Ahmad Akbari Javid (Iran) on October 17, 2022, aged 75. He was a member of the FIE Veterans’ Council from 2012-2016.

“Mr. Javid competed for Iran in individual and team foil and team sabre events at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. At the 1974 Asian Games, held in Tehran, he was a gold and bronze medallist in foil and sabre,” FIE said in a statement on October 20.

The Iranian Fencing Federation said Javid was a coach who contributed all his life to fencing and sport and “tirelessly, generously and with infinite kindness helped, supported and motivated all those who sought help and advice in fencing and in sport”.

DATUK ASHAKARI ABU NOOR

he Olympic Council of Malaysia reported that Datuk Ashakari Abu Noor passed away on September 29.

Datuk Ashakari Abu Noor, 58, was a highly respected sports leader and invested in the development of sports, especially cycling, at the Melaka state and national level.

He held senior positions in the Melaka State Cycling Association and the National Federation of Cycling Malaysia and was team manager at several multi-sport games, including the 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

"Datuk Ashakari Abu Noor contributed a lot to the development of cycling in Malaysia,” said OCM President Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr.) Mohamad Norza Zakaria, describing him as a “dedicated and committed” sports official.

BOB WILSON – ROWING PIONEER IN HONG KONG

The Hong Kong, China Rowing Association reported “with great sadness” the loss of founding President Bob Wilson as a result of complications following surgery.

“The thoughts of everyone at HKCRA are with Bob's family and friends, and we extend our deepest condolences to them,” the association said in a statement on November 5.

“As a founding member of HKCRA, Bob was instrumental in developing rowing in Hong Kong. We will always owe him a huge debt of gratitude for all he contributed.”

Ahmad Akbari Javid. (Photo: FIE)

Beijing 2022 attracts 2.1 billion viewers

The Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 reached a global broadcast audience of more than 2 billion people, according to independent research conducted on behalf of the IOC. A total of 2.01 billion unique viewers tuned in to watch coverage from Beijing across linear TV and digital platforms, representing a five per cent increase on the audience for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

Viewers around the world watched a combined 713 billion minutes of Games coverage on Olympic Media Rights Partners’ channels – an 18 per cent increase compared with PyeongChang 2018. (www.ioc.org)

Singapore to host FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup to 2025

After a successful FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2022, the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup will take place in Singapore for the next three editions: 2023, 2024 and 2025. Just two months removed from the 2022 edition, which featured a record 51 teams from 29 different countries, Sport Singapore and FIBA announced that Singapore would continue to host the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup for the next three years.

The next edition will be staged in the Singapore Sports Hub from March 27 to April 2, marking the first major milestone of the 3x3 season in 2023. (www.fiba.basketball)

ITTF appoints Liu Guoliang Deputy President

The President of the International Table Tennis Federation, Petra Sörling, has appointed Liu Guoliang as ITTF Deputy President.

An extremely well-respected leader within the table tennis community, Liu was elected President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association in 2018 and to the ITTF Executive Committee in 2021. As a player and head coach of the Chinese men’s team, Liu has won all the major titles. (www.ittf.com)

Paris 2024 announces marathon route

The marathon route for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 was revealed on October 5 by the Organising Committee, detailing a spectacular and challenging circular course running from Hôtel de Ville in Paris to Versailles and back, ending at Esplanade des Invalides. The route has historical connections, following in the footsteps of the Women's March of 1789 which shaped the history and values of contemporary France. It will showcase cultural and architectural heritage sites across the French capital including the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, Grand Palais, Château de Versailles and the Eiffel Tower.

In addition to the Olympic marathons, it was confirmed that over 40,000 members of the public will be given the opportunity to run in the “Paris 2024 Marathon Pour Tous” mass running events over 42.195km and 10km. (Paris2024.org)

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

KADA hosts Asia/Oceania seminar

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) played a central role during the 2022 Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA) Seminar for Asia and Oceania, held on September 28-29 in Busan.

Under the theme “Spreading the Values of Sport through the Cooperation of Anti-Doping Organisations”, the seminar attracted 81 participants from 28 nations across Asia and Oceania and aimed to contribute to capacity-building in the region through the sharing of information and best practices. (www.wada-ama.org)

Beijing 2022 by numbers

In their final report to the 26th ANOC General Assembly in Seoul, Beijing 2022 revealed a list of fascinating facts and figures from the Winter Olympics, including:

91 NOCs, 109 events, 2,876 athletes, 2 world records, 17 Olympic Winter Games records, 100,000 staff, 200,000 support personnel, 8,000 drivers, 4,000 vehicles, 2,300 medical workers, 18,000 volunteers, 520 news organisations, 24 rights-holding broadcasters, 9,000 accredited media, broadcast coverage in more than 200 countries and regions.

Seoul may bid for 2036 Olympics

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon says Korea’s capital city is considering a bid to host the Olympic Games in 2036, following Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.

Seoul hosted the Olympics in 1988, PyeongChang staged the 2018 Winter Olympics and Gangwon will welcome the Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2024.

ANOC to continue free photo service

ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg reported to the 26th ANOC General Assembly in Seoul that their photo project would continue after the success at Beijing 2022.

ANOC offered free photos to all NOCs at the Winter Olympics and 28 NOCs, plus the five Continental Associations, took advantage of this excellent initiative and service.

Two photographers produced 3,600 photos and covered 250 athletes, enabling the smaller NOCs to provide rich content in their media. This service will continue and ANOC will build a photo library as the next step.

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

IOC Director General Christophe de Kepper said the IOC was in ongoing dialogue with 10 NOCs for the 2036 Olympics and with three, including Sapporo in Japan, for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

November 3 – 7

OCA Development Programme for Coaches and RefereesCentral Asia and South Asia Tashkent, Uzbekistan

November 21 – December 18

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

December 9

IOC Olympic Summit Lausanne, Switzerland 2023

March/April

OCA Athletes’ Committee Athletes’ Forum Bangkok, Thailand

April 28 – May 2

ANOC Chef de Mission meeting for 2023 ANOC World Beach Games Bali, Indonesia

May 5 – 17

32nd SEA Games Phnom Penh, Cambodia

May 27 – 28

IOC Executive Board meeting Mumbai, India

May 30 – June 1

IOC 140th Session Mumbai, India

May 31 – June 2

WADA Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) Symposium Incheon, Korea

July 14 – 30

20th FINA World Championships Fukuoka, Japan

July 28 – August 8

FISU World University Games Chengdu, China

August 2 – 11

FINA World Masters Championships Kyushu, Japan

August 5 – 12

2nd ANOC World Beach Games Bali, Indonesia

August 13 – 15

ANOC XXVII General Assembly Bali, Indonesia

August 19 – 27

World Athletics Championships Budapest, Hungary

September 23 – October 8

19th Asian Games Hangzhou, China

October/November (Dates to be decided)

14th South Asian Games Lahore, Pakistan

October 21 – 28

World Combat Games Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

November 17 – 26

6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Bangkok/Chonburi, Thailand

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner

2022

2024

January 19 – February 1

4th Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon, Korea

February 2 – 18

21st FINA World Championships Doha 2024 Doha, Qatar

July 26 – August 11

XXXII Olympic Games Paris, France

August 28 – September 8

Paralympic Games Paris, France

2025

(Dates to be decided)

3rd Asian Youth Games Tashkent, Uzbekistan

(Fourth quarter) 7th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

15th National Games of China Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong Province 2026

February 6 – 22 Olympic Winter Games Milan-Cortina, Italy

March 6 – 15

Paralympic Winter Games Milan-Cortina, Italy

2026

September 19 – October 4 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Japan

4th Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 Senegal 2028

July 21 – August 6

Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States

2029

(Dates to be decided)

9th Asian Winter Games Trojena, Saudi Arabia

(Dates to be decided) 4th Asian Youth Games Phnom Penh, Cambodia 2030

(Dates to be decided) 21st Asian Games Doha, Qatar 2032

July 23 – August 8

XXXV Olympic Games Brisbane, Australia 2034

(Dates to be decided)

22nd Asian Games Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Prestige Partner