Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 4, 2022: Over 5 million sports enthusiasts have used the Hangzhou Asian Games competition and training venues in the past few months, organising committee HAGOC reported on Sunday.
On the first morning of the Olympic Council of Asia/Olympic Solidarity Regional Forum in Riyadh, Jeff Xu - Deputy Director, International Relations Department - provided a general update on preparations to delegates from National Olympic Committees from West, Central and South Asia.
He said that the 54 competition venues in six cities and 31 independent training venues were being put to good use after the decision to postpone the 19th Asian Games from September 10-25, 2022 to September 23-October 8, 2023.
So far, over 5 million people have used all 54 competition venues and 30 of the 31 training venues, enabling HAGOC to test the daily operations and management of the venues, he said.
Delegates heard that the venues for the 61 disciplines of the 40 sports had been accepted by the respective technical delegate and that all efforts were being made to deliver a “Smart Asian Games” regarding digital technology.
On the subject of the Covid-19 pandemic, he stressed that HAGOC must be guided by the policy of the Chinese government but said that the situation was changing and restrictions were “improving drastically”.
“We are working with the OCA to produce the handbook in March and May for the defining policy,” he added. “We advise everyone coming to Hangzhou to be fully vaccinated.”
Current rules stipulate that people arriving in China must spend five days in quarantine followed by three days of self-testing and reporting – a system known as 5+3.
The OCA’s Director of the Asian Games Department, Haider Farman, said that, as well as the Asian Games boxing competition serving as a qualifying event for Paris 2024, sailing, swimming and water polo would also be part of this qualifying process from Hangzhou.
HAGOC presented updates in various key areas, such as accreditation, transportation, accommodation, media and broadcast services, NOC services, Asian Games Village and the sports programme and competition schedule.
Highlights included:
23 test events held
NOC Entry by number: February 1 – March 15, 2023
NOC Entry by name: June 1 – July 15, 2023
Draw for team sports: August 2023
Press accreditation to re-open December 20, 2022
Press accreditation deadline: May 20, 2023
World Press Briefing II: June 2023
World Broadcasters Meeting II: June 2023
Pre-Delegation Registration Meetings: May 20-June 15
Delegation Registration Meetings in Hangzhou: September 9-22
