Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 29, 2024: With a collective cry of “O-C-A”, the participants of the Olympic Council of Asia Development Programme for Coaches and Referees contributed to a joyous conclusion at the Pearl Kuala Lumpur hotel on Friday evening.
A total of 111 coaches and referees from 19 National Olympic Committees in Southeast Asia and East Asia had joined in this five-day development programme from Monday to Friday focusing on four sports – archery, badminton, swimming and table tennis.
With mission accomplished by all parties and with OCA certificates in hand, the participants, instructors, sports association officials and OCA staff joined as one for the final group photo and final social media video to the enthusiastic call of “O-C-A!”
“I would like to congratulate you all for successfully completing this development programme,” said Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr.) Mohamad Norza Zakaria, President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia and OCA Vice President for the Southeast Asia zone.
“The OCA is deeply committed to the advancement of the Olympic movement in Asia, and everyone here can play their part in promoting this growth when you go home.”
As well as practical and theoretical exercises for the coaches, referees and technical officials, the OCA has also used the development programme to promote its “Safeguarding the Asian Games” initiative through four presentations focusing on safeguarding, anti-doping, the prevention of competition manipulation and Olympic values.
Dr. Norza felt this well-rounded programme would keep all the participants informed and up-to-date with all the modern trends in the wider Olympic movement as well as in their own sport. He described it as a great honour to declare the programme closed.
The OCA’s Director of Development and NOC Relations, Mr. Wissam Trkmani, thanked the Olympic Council of Malaysia for their support, along with the Asian and International Federations of the sports concerned and the instructors to lead the programmes.
“Congratulations on achieving the OCA development programme certificate and this will help you in your home countries. This is only the beginning,” he added.
The sports instructors and local sports association officials presented the certificates to the coaches and referees before the OCA and OCM exchanged souvenir gifts to celebrate the occasion.
This third stage of the OCA Development Programme for Coaches and Referees completed the five-zone cycle, following courses for coaches and referees from West Asia in Kuwait and from Central and South Asia in Uzbekistan in 2022.