Sanya [China], April 22: His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), chaired the 109th meeting of the OCA Executive Board in Sanya, People's Republic of China, on the sidelines of the 6th Asian Beach Games - Sanya 2026.
His Excellency opened the meeting with a welcoming address to the members of the Executive Board, commending their ongoing efforts in serving the Asian Olympic Movement.
The meeting reviewed several agenda items, most notably the adoption of the minutes of the previous meeting held in Kuwait, and a review of reports from the organizing committees, particularly the report of the Organizing Committee for the Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026).
The Organizing Committee presented an update on preparations, noting that the Games program will include 43 sports, 70 competitions, and 468 events, along with positive indicators regarding public interest and high ticket sales.
The Council also discussed updates from the Finance Committee, including the audited interim financial statements for the first quarter of 2026, along with reports from the Audit and Risk Committee, reflecting the Council's commitment to the highest standards of governance and transparency.
The meeting also addressed the Asian Games at its various stages, in addition to reviewing the letter of intent submitted by the Mongolian National Olympic Committee to host the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG 2030). In this context, His Excellency affirmed the Council's continued efforts in evaluating bids from countries wishing to host its events, given the growing interest in organizing Council events across the continent.On April 27, an agreement will be signed with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Philippine Olympic Committee to host the 7th Asian Beach Games in Cebu City in 2028. Additionally, the Executive Board approved a special exception granting the Malaysian state of Johor the hosting rights for the 8th Asian Beach Games in 2029.
The Council announced that Doha, Qatar, will host the next General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia on January 27, 2027, during which the Council's President for the new term (2027-2035) will be elected.
The Executive Board also approved the nomination of Kudrat Shamiev as Vice President of the Olympic Council for the 10th Asian Winter Games - Almaty 2029.
Shamiev is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan and President of the Taekwondo Federation of Kazakhstan.
This meeting reflects the Olympic Council of Asia's commitment to strengthening the Olympic Movement in Asia, supporting coordination among National Olympic Committees and sports federations and fostering integration among its leadership to propel Asian sports toward further development and excellence.
Source: Qatar Tribune
