▲ The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) flag enters the opening ceremony of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on September 19.
Ahmad Abdullah Al-Buainain, CEO of the Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee, stated during a press conference held in Nagoya, Japan, on local time October 1 that he maintains an open attitude toward hosting the Doha Asian Games in 2031.
"The proposal to change the timing of the event is being discussed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)," Al-Buainain said. "The most important thing is for the organizing committee to make the necessary preparations under any circumstances."
He added, "We are open, and we will work closely with the IOC and the OCA."
The OCA is discussing plans to shift the timing of the Asian Games from even-numbered years to odd-numbered years.
This comes from the judgment that the status of the Asian Games has fallen to a serious level recently.
Cases have continued where some countries, such as China and Japan, send second-tier squads instead of their elite athletes in certain events, and public interest is gradually diminishing.
Box-office failures are directly linked to revenue problems.
Consequently, cities wishing to host the event are also dwindling.
Nagoya faced severe criticism after drastically cutting costs due to declining revenues, which exposed various problems.
Pondering how to enhance the competitiveness of the Asian Games, the OCA began considering holding the games in odd-numbered years.
The reasoning is that hosting the Asian Games in the year right before the Summer Olympics would allow it to be utilized as an Olympic qualifier, thereby raising the competitiveness and prestige of the event.
They believe that if the Asian Games become a stage linked to Olympic qualification tickets, countries will have a greater incentive to field top-tier athletes, and public interest in the event could also rise.
Other continental multi-sport events are following a similar path.
Multi-sport events in other continents, such as the Pan American Games, European Games, and African Games, are already all held one year prior to the Olympics.
The IOC also shows a positive stance toward this direction.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who recently visited the site of the Nagoya Asian Games, expressed her support for the OCA's plan to postpone the Asian Games by one year.
In an interview with China's Xinhua News Agency, Coventry said, "Continental sports organizations are encouraging the holding of multi-sport events one year before the Olympics so they can be utilized as Olympic qualifiers," adding, "We expect the OCA and the Asian Games to move in that direction."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.