Ranthi Singh, acting chairman of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), confirmed that the 19th Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China The tournament will be postponed until 2023 as China’s government continues to implement Zero COVID measures or nationwide lockdown measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
The OCA said in a statement after its executive board meeting in Tashkent that the Hangzhou organising committee (HAGOC) had been well prepared to deliver the Games despite the “global challenges”.
“However, the decision was taken by all the stakeholders after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the Games.”
“The name and the emblem of the 19th Asian Games will remain unchanged, and the OCA believes that the Games will achieve complete success through the joint efforts of all parties.”
OCA acting president Randhir Singh told Reuters a task force has been set up to decide new dates for the Games.
“It’s because of the COVID-19 problem… that the Games had to be postponed by one year, by whatever months they decide on,” Singh said from Tashkent.
“We formed a task force, they will look into it… and decide the timing with the concurrence of the Chinese Olympic Committee.”
Singh was sorry for the athletes but felt hosting the Games next year would mean they would have a better chance of peaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Source : Reuters
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