OCA holds Executive Board meeting

Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held the 58th OCA Executive Board meeting in Tokyo Wednesday, with President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah Sheikh Ahmad emphasizing the council's readiness to continue spreading the Olympic movement and the sports movement in this continent. At the outset of the one-day meeting, Sheikh Ahmad of Kuwait offered his condolences to the victims of the March 11 earthquake in northeastern Japan and extended his sincere sympathy to the Japanese people. He also pledged the OCA's continued support for the country's sport society and the Japanese Olympic Committee. Sheikh Ahmad also congratulated the South Korean city of Pyeongchang for winning the bid to host the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, which proved the standing of Asian sport in the global Olympic movement, and the respect for Asia among the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members who voted overwhelmingly in favor of Pyeongchang last week. Looking back at the past four years of his latest tenure, Sheikh Ahmad said the OCA has witnessed the success of all their major events, including the first-ever Asian Youth Games that was held in 2009 Singapore, the 2009 Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam, the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong, the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou of China, the 2010 Asian Beach Games 2010 in Oman and the 2011 Asian Winter Games 2011 in Kazakhstan. "Those countries and cities opened new history through their first experiences to host such events, and they all concluded successfully," he expressed pleasure. "This makes us feel that not only games and sports have increased and grown, but also more cities and National Olympic Committees had opportunities to experience games." At the executive board meeting, South Korea's Incheon Organizing Committee presented reports on preparations for the 17th Asian Games in 2014. The committee made a firm commitment to its success, noting that construction of the sporting venues is underway for the prestigious event featuring 36 sports. According to Sheikh Ahmad, during their talks in South Africa last week, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak assured his full support for the 2014 games. Other reports presented at Wednesday's meeting included progress and preparation for the 3rd Asian Beach Games in China's Haiyang in 2012, the 2nd Asian Youth Games in China's Nanjing in 2013, the 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Incheon in 2013 and the 4th Asian Beach Games in Thailand's Phuket in 2014. The OCA is scheduled to hold Executive Board elections at the General Assembly on Thursday. The Kuwait-based OCA was founded in 1982. Sheikh Ahmad has been OCA President and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1992. Comprising 45 National Olympic Committees in the Asian continent, the OCA is one of five continental associations under the umbrella of the IOC and controls all the sports in Asia.