The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and President of Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of Doha 2030, H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, during the 39th Olympic Council of Asia Gener
Doha: Doha won the 2030 Asian Games bid race yesterday after clinching the voting that took place on the sidelines of the 39th General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in Muscat.
The decision yesterday was announced by OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah as the entire Asian sports family watched the proceedings broadcast live on television channels and social media platforms right across the continent.
“I can now announce... that the city who had the highest vote and will host 2030 is Doha,” said Sheikh Ahmad said yesterday. “The second hosting city, for 2034, is Riyadh,” he added.
The 39th OCA General Assembly was attended by President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Chairman of Doha 2030 H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, CEO of Qatar Foundation H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
“This achievement is not attributed to me alone. There is a whole team that worked hard inside and outside the committee. I thank His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and everyone who supported our bid file — from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all ambassadors abroad,” Sheikh Joaan told media after the announcement.
“It was a long and arduous campaign. I give thanks to God that we will be hosting the Asian Games again. Qatar has become a sign of Asia’s confidence,” he added.
Doha put forward a compact and risk-free bid, with all sports stadiums already in place. The award of the Asian Games will further boost its profile as a world-class sports city, capable of hosting major international events in a variety of sports. Qatar will host the next FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, OCA president
“I believe you (OCA) are making history, and I will be proud to have two Asian Games in West Asia,” Sheikh Ahmad said yesterday. “Thank you Asia for your solidarity and coordination.”
The voting numbers in the host cities election were 27 for Doha, 10 for Riyadh and there were eight abstentions.
The Asian Games is the largest sports gathering supervised by the OCA and it is the second largest multi-sport event in the world after the Summer Olympics. More than 10,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries gather at every Asian Games edition.
Wednesday’s decision means Qatar will play host to the multi-sport event eight years after it stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals.
Doha hosted the 15th Asian Games in 2006, with the participation of the 45 member states of the Olympic Council of Asia, 423 competitions were organized across 39 sports.
Qatar has a strong track record in organizing world championships, including the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships, IAAF World Athletics Championships in 2014, World Handball Championships 2015, UCI Road World Championships 2016, World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2018, World Athletics Championships 2019, and the Games the First World Beach Games Qatar 2019.
Qatar is set to organize a number of major tournaments, among which are the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2023 World Aquatics Championship, the 2023 World Judo Championship as well and other tournaments listed on its sports calendar.
QOC also announced that it had formally submitted its request to the International Olympic Committee to join the continuous dialogue and non-binding on hosting one of the Olympic and Paralympic Games starting with the of 2032 edition.
Previous Asian Games host cities: 1951, New Delhi, India; 1954, Manila, Philippines; 1958, Tokyo, Japan; 1962, Jakarta, Indonesia; 1966, Bangkok, Thailand; 1970, Bangkok, Thailand; 1974, Tehran, Iran; 1978, Bangkok, Thailand; 1982, New Delhi, India; 1986, Seoul, Korea; 1990, Beijing, China; 1994, Hiroshima, Japan; 1998, Bangkok, Thailand; 2002, Busan, Korea; 2006, Doha, Qatar; 2010, Guangzhou, China; 2014, Incheon, Korea; 2018, Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia.
The 19th Asian Games, will take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 10-25, 2022 and the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026.
