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Qatar and Saudi Arabia will compete for hosting rights to the Asian Games in 2030, the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) has announced.
In a statement about On Thursday, the OCA said it had received offers from Doha and Riyadh, The capital cities of the two neighboring countries of the Gulf.
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“OCA is delighted to receive two strong offers for our Asian Games in 2030,” he said. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad al-Sabah, The president of the body.
“It shows confidence in the Olympic Movement in Asia and further enhances our reputation for hosting world-class sporting events on a large scale.”
The 45-member OCA had invited to submit bids for the games before Wednesday.
The host city will be decided at the OCA General Assembly meeting in Sanya, China on November 29.
“With these two offerings for the 2030 Asian Games we now have stability and continuity in our sports movement for the next decade,” said Sheikh Ahmad.
“It puts us in an envious position in terms of our sports calendar and again highlights that Asia is an important partner in the global Olympic movement.”
The Chinese city of Hangzhou had been selected to host the next Games in 2022, with the 2026 edition scheduled for Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Qatar organized the 15th edition of the Games in 2006, but Saudi Arabia has never organized an OCA multi-sport event.
“We believe it is time to re-introduce it to welcome all of Asia to our country,” he said. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee.
In 2022, Qatar will host the World Cup, the largest soccer event in the world.
“We want to put our experience and capabilities at the service of Asian sport,” said Sheik Joaan. “Through close cooperation with our friends from the Asian Olympic family, we promise to provide the best possible environment for athletes to present their best and encourage future generations of youth on the Asian continent.”
Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, imposed a blockade on Qatar and severed diplomatic and commercial ties with it on June 5, 2017.
The quartet accuses Qatar of “supporting terrorism” and of being too close to its regional rival, Iran. Qatar has repeatedly rejected the allegations as unfounded.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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