KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait: The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that it has received two bids to host its showpiece event, the Asian Games, in 2030.
Doha, capital of Qatar, and Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, submitted official bids to host the 21st Asian Games before the OCA’s April 22 deadline. The bid document from the National Olympic Committee of each country was accompanied by letters of support from the city and respective governments.
No bid from India
India could not submit its bid before the April 22 deadline because of the coronavirus pandemic, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra said.
The IOA is now considering to make a bid to host the 2034 edition of the continental event.
Batra added his organisation had to change its ‘priorities after the outbreak of the pandemic and ensure the well-being of its athletes first.’ Consequently, the Olympic body could not complete the necessary formalities and secure government guarantees in time.
Doha hosted the 15th Asian Games in December 2006 but Saudi Arabia has never organised an OCA multi-sport event.
The president of the Olympic Council of Asia, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, said: “The OCA is delighted to receive two strong bids for our Asian Games in 2030.
“It shows the trust and confidence in the Olympic Movement in Asia and further enhances our reputation of hosting world-class sporting events on a major scale.”
The 19th Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, China in 2022 and the 20th Asiad will be in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in 2026.
The OCA sent a circular to all 45 National Olympic Committees on January 23 inviting bids for the 21st Asian Games in 2030. The deadline was Wednesday, April 22.
“With these two bids for the 2030 Asian Games we now have stability and continuity in our sports movement for the next decade,” Sheikh Ahmad added.
“This will allow our National Olympic Committees, our administrators and, above all, our athletes, to make solid plans for the future in the short term, medium term and long term.
“It puts us in an envious position in terms of our sports calendar and highlights again that Asia is a major partner in the global Olympic movement.”
The election of the host city for the 21st Asian Games in 2030 will be held at the OCA General Assembly on November 29, on the sidelines of the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China.
“We believe it is time to bid to host it again to welcome all of Asia to our country,” said Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee.
In 2022, Qatar will host the World Cup, the biggest football event in the world.
“We want to put our expertise and capabilities in the service of Asian sport,” Sheikh Joaan said. “Through close cooperation with our friends in the Asian Olympic family, we promise to provide the best possible environment for athletes to present their best and encourage future generations of young people in the Asian continent.”
The Asian Games was held for the first time in 1951 in New Delhi, although the roots of the continent’s international multi-sport event date back to the first Far Eastern Championship in Manila, Philippines in 1913.
Previous Asian Games host cities: 1951, New Delhi; 1954, Manila; 1958, Tokyo; 1962, Jakarta; 1966, Bangkok; 1970, Bangkok; 1974, Tehran; 1978, Bangkok; 1982, New Delhi; 1986, Seoul; 1990, Beijing; 1994, Hiroshima; 1998, Bangkok; 2002, Busan; 2006, Doha; 2010, Guangzhou; 2014, Incheon; 2018, Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia.
