19th Asian Games new dates announced

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Tuesday announced new dates for  the 19th Asian Games which had been postponed in May this year due to covid issues in China which will be hosting the quadrennial event.

As per the OCA press release it issued on Tuesday the event will now be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8, 2023.

The 19th Asian Games was originally planned to be held in Hangzhou from September 10-25, 2022, however due to the covid 19 global pandemic the Games were postponed by the OCA Executive Board (EB) on May 6, 2022 and a “Task Force” was created by the EB to finalise the new dates for the Games.

“The Task Force over the last two months held various discussions with the Chinese Olympic Committee, Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC) and other stakeholders to find a window for the Games which did not conflict with other major international sporting events. The recommended dates by the Task Force were duly approved by the OCA EB,” the OCA said.

“The OCA thanks HAGOC, the Chinese Olympic Committee, as well as the Governments at all levels for their hard work in preparing for the Games during the pandemic and ensuring they can take place next year. The OCA would also like to express its appreciation for the patience shown by the National Olympic Committees and International Federation/Asian Federations and other stakeholders.”.

“The OCA looks forward to celebrating the best Asian Games ever in Hangzhou in September 2023,” it said.