Thimphu, Bhutan, February 13, 2023: The Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC) and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held a press conference on Monday, February 13 to provide updates on the upcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Local media representatives were in attendance to learn about the readiness of the OCA and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC) in hosting the Asian Games.
Mr. Jigme Thinley, Bhutan’s Chef de Mission for the Asian Games, assured the media that the OCA and HAGOC have been working hard to ensure that the Games will go ahead on the new dates of September 23-October 8, 2023 following the one-year postponement.
“We have received reassurances from our friends at the OCA and the HAGOC that the Games will go ahead as planned this year. The postponement has actually allowed our athletes to better prepare for the Games,” said Thinley.
Responding to questions from the local media, the Director of the Media and Broadcast Department of the OCA, Mr. Jeans Zhou Jian, shared that all preparations for the hosting of the Games were ready by 2022.
However, because of the pandemic and COVID-19 protocols imposed, the OCA took the decision to postpone the Games. He further shared that, as all the competition and training venues were ready, the Hangzhou Organizing Committee had opened the venues to the public and nearly 6 million citizens from Hangzhou had used the facilities.
He reassured the gathering that all safety measures and protocols would be taken into consideration by HAGOC and OCA to ensure a safe and wonderful Asian Games.
“The OCA and the coordination committee for the Asian Games have been working tirelessly with the HAGOC and the Chinese Government to ensure that the Games will be held as per the plan later this year. All venues and accommodations are ready to welcome the athletes from Asia and we are hopeful that the OCA will be able to deliver the best Asian Games experience to all,” he said.
When asked about Bhutan’s preparations, Mr. Sonam Karma Tshering, the Secretary General of the BOC, stated that they have already identified potential sports disciplines based on their performance at the previous games. The BOC is working with the respective sports federations to train their athletes to the best of their abilities.
“Our athletes are training on a daily basis, and we are confident that we will do their best at the Asian Games,” said the Secretary General.
The press conference also saw the awarding of the winners of the Art Competition, which was held to promote the Hangzhou Asian Games. The winners were honored by the Director of Media and Broadcast Department of the OCA, Mr. Jeans Zhou Jian.