Surge in Covid cases in China sends Asiad, World University Games to 2023

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 6

The rising Covid numbers in China have forced the organisers of this year’s Hangzhou Asian Games to postpone the multi-discipline event to 2023.

The decision to postpone the Asian Games, scheduled to take place in September, was taken today in a meeting involving officials of the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC), Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC) and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, lies around 175 kilometres southwest of Shanghai, a city that has been under a month-long lockdown to combat Covid.

China has been struggling to contain its worst outbreak since 2019. The seven-week average rose to over 20,000 cases.

“Following detailed discussions with the COC and the HAGOC, the OCA Executive Board (EB) today decided to postpone the 19th Asian Games, which were scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from 10 to 25 September 2022,” OCA said in a press statement, adding that the new dates for the event would be “announced in the near future”.

A source close to the deliberations told The Tribune that the Games can now be held next year only.

OCA said the decision to postpone the Asiad was taken after talking to all stakeholders “after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the Games.”

Uni Games postponed

Later in the day, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) also announced the postponement of this year’s World University Games, scheduled for June-July in Chengdu, to 2023. The event was originally scheduled to be held in 2021.

“The decision to reschedule Chengdu 2021 is not one that was made easily, but it is the right decision for university athletes. Their welfare is always our number one priority. Continued uncertainty over conditions has made rescheduling the sensible choice,” acting FISU president Leonz Eder said.

The 3rd Asian Youth Games, to be held in Shantou in December, have been cancelled. The event, originally slated to be held last year, had been rescheduled once. The next Youth Games will be held in Tashkent in 2025.

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