Asian Youth Games moved from Hambantota to Doha
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is to make clear of its limit to tolerance as unofficial reports say that the Asian Youth Games (AYG) 2017 has been moved to Doha, Qatar from Hambantota. The Sunday Times reliably learns that the previous proposal made by the AYG Secretariat to host the AYG 2017 in Colombo apart from Hambantota has been treated unfavourably by the OCA officials.
The AYG Games Flag was officially handed over to Hambantota mayor in Nanjing last year
Two months ago an OCA delegation met the AYG 2017 Organising Committee to estimate Hambantota’s progress on the Games. However, it was reported by international media that the Asian body had already made their decision by then to take away the games from Hambantota. Reports said that Indonesia’s second largest city Surabaya was suggested as an alternative venue to Hambantota but weeks later names of three Middle Eastern cities – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha – surfaced as potential hosts for the AYG 2017.
Confirmed reports now say that, without much progress witnessed in Hambantota, the OCA had made its final decision to move ahead with Doha as its host. The original bidders were Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
None of the officials from the AYG 2017 Secretariat or the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Sri Lanka were willing to make an official statement on the development of the Games, the progress of Hambantota’s preparation or on the latest suggestion of sharing Colombo and Hambantota as joint host cities. Neither the official AYG flag handed over to the Hambantota Mayor in Nanjing, China last year has been taken away by the OCA so far.
Maxwell de Silva, the General Secretary of NOC told the Sunday Times that the OCA has not made any remarks on Hambantota and the Sri Lanka’s southern city still remains as the hosts of AYG 2017. But he confirmed that the progress of Hambantota and, by the latest, Colombo jointly hosting the Games will be taken up for discussion at an upcoming OCA meeting.
“I really have no idea if the OCA has stripped Hambantota as the host city of the AYG 2017. Of what I know it still remains as the host city. But the OCA has the final say. As far as I’m concerned this issue will be taken up for discussion at their General Assembly in Kuwait on September 20,” he said.
In June an OCA delegation visited Sri Lanka to witness the progress of Hambantota but the Asian authority has not made any positive response on the issue. A global website Sports Business International, quoting a senior OCA official on March 31 said, “The OCA has made the decision, but it will probably be officially announced in three months’ time”.
Aptly timing the deadline given to Sri Lanka, the OCA delegation visited the proposed sites in Hambantota but the AYG Secretariat made a sudden diversion by proposing to add Colombo to the agenda. Earlier in April it was further reported that Wei JiZhong and Haider Farman, the two OCA officials who visited Sri Lanka, warned the host city of Hambantota of the consequences.