Tashkent, Uzbekistan, November 2, 2022: The Olympic Council of Asia will push new boundaries with its Stage Two Development Programme for coaches and referees which starts in the Uzbek capital Tashkent on November 3, Thursday.
A total of 217 participants from 12 National Olympic Committees in Central Asia and South Asia, will meet for the OCA’s one-stop shop from November 3-7, aimed at uplifting the technical skills and knowledge of officials in five sports: boxing, judo, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling.
“It is exciting times. The OCA is breaking new ground by taking its development programme on the road. Previously we hosted the inaugural programme at our headquarters in Kuwait, and now we are ready to take the next step forward,” said Tony Tarraf, OCA Head of Athletes Development Department and Special Projects.
In a bold move to get hands-on and involved in the development of coaches and referees, the OCA initiated a special project for nine sports for officials from 12 NOCs in West Asia in Kuwait, earlier this year.
A total of 520 coaches and referees benefited during Stage One with top instructors provided by International Federations and Asian Federations. The same successful formula has been followed with the only change being the entire course moving overseas.
“We have got the full support from the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan as well as the backing from the International Federations and Asian Federations who have sent some of their leading people to conduct the practical and theory lessons,” Tarraf noted.
Six NOCs from Central Asia and a similar number from South Asia have sent two coaches and two referees in each of the five sports.
The Central Asian NOCs are: Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and hosts Uzbekistan. The South Asian NOCs are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“We received widespread positive feedback from all the NOCs in West Asia, and even the International Federations and Asian Federations, following the first stage. This is not only an opportunity to learn, but also a platform to network and exchange ideas with peers from different countries,” Tarraf said.
The OCA will hold a similar course on the road for NOCs from East Asia and Southeast Asia next year at a venue yet to be decided.