Kuwait City, Kuwait, May 12, 2025: Timothy Fok, First Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia, led the chorus of applause as the curtain came down on a successful 45th General Assembly in Kuwait on Monday, May 12.
Summing up the productive two-day meeting where all 45 Asian National Olympic Committees were represented, Fok thanked the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, the Government of Kuwait, and the Kuwait Olympic Committee for hosting a momentous assembly.
“It was a very successful General Assembly and I must thank the Amir of Kuwait, the Government of Kuwait, the Kuwait Olympic Committee, and all Olympic colleagues, especially my colleagues from the Olympic Council of Asia,” Fok said in a brief closing address.
The marathon session which lasted more than four hours was notable for the keynote speech from incoming President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, who was making her first official address since being elected to replace Dr. Thomas Bach on March 20, 2025.
Following the IOC President-elect’s speech, reports were heard by the five zonal OCA Vice Presidents, an update from WADA President Witold Banka, reviews from the Organising Committees of the Hangzhou Asian Games held last year, and the Harbin Asian Winter Games, held in February 2025.
The Organising Committees of Bahrain 2025 Asian Youth Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, Riyadh 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, and Doha 2030 Asian Games also gave delegates a briefing on the latest developments for the upcoming games.
OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam told the assembly that the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will present different challenges with the 42 sports spread across five cities.
“The organisers face challenges and it is our duty and responsibility to support Aichi-Nagoya and Japan because Japan has done a lot for the Asian Olympic Movement,” Captain Husain reminded his audience.
The IOC, Olympic Solidarity and ANOC (Association of National Olympic Committees) also made presentations.
ANOC stated that they were pushing for continental games across the globe to serve as Olympic qualifiers – but this was an issue in the case of Asia, as its flagship Asian Games was held two years before the Olympic Games.
Captain Husain said the OCA was looking at changing the process, but that it would not happen in the near future.
“We have an Asian Games cycle and have agreed contracts with host cities until the 2034 games. But we are reviewing changing the year the Asian Games are held. We need to finalise this process,” Captain Husain said.
Among the other key takeaways were:
· OCA recognises that Mind Sports could be included in future Asian Games and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
· Only six out of 45 Asian NOCs have a minimum of 30 per cent women representation in alignment with IOC guidelines.
· OCA is looking at using social media influencers to promote Asian Games.
The next General Assembly, in 2026, will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on a request made by the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan. Dates will be confirmed later.
