The Asian Games scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, in 2030 may be postponed to 2031. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is exploring the possibility of moving the event to an odd-numbered year, just before the Summer Olympics, and the Doha organizing committee has expressed an open stance on the matter.
According to reports from Reuters and other outlets, Ahmad Abdulrahman Al-Buaainain, CEO of the Doha Asian Games organizing committee, stated at a press conference in Nagoya, Japan, on October 1, "The proposal to change the timing of the event is being discussed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and OCA. The most important thing is that the organizing committee is prepared for any situation. Such decisions always involve many stakeholders and numerous reasons behind them. We are open to it."
If the schedule changes, the gap between the Doha Games and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics would narrow to just a few months.
However, the organizing committee is still maintaining its plan to hold the event in 2030. Al-Buaainain told AFP, "Our plan is to hold it in 2030. Whether it is moved forward or delayed, the organizing committee must ensure that the venues and operational plans are ready without any issues."
The OCA is considering this schedule change to enhance the competitiveness of the event. The idea is to hold the Asian Games a year before the Olympics to serve as a qualifying event for Asian countries. With Olympic berths at stake, nations would be incentivized to send their top athletes rather than second-tier teams, potentially increasing interest in the Games. Other continental multi-sport events, such as the Pan American Games and European Games, are already held a year before the Olympics.
The discussion of changes comes amid concerns over the declining status of the Asian Games. In the ongoing 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, countries like China and Japan have sent some second-tier athletes in certain events. There have also been controversies over poor attendance at the opening ceremony.
The Aichi-Nagoya Games are facing financial challenges, having cut costs that have exposed operational weaknesses. The decision to use cruise ships and container accommodations instead of building a separate athletes' village has led to athlete dissatisfaction, and transportation issues arose due to missing buses between accommodations and training venues.
The decline in attendance has contributed to reduced revenue, leading to fewer cities expressing interest in hosting the Asian Games.
The IOC has also supported the idea of changing the schedule. IOC President Kirsty Coventry stated in an interview with Xinhua on September 19, "Continental sports organizations are encouraged to hold multi-sport events a year before the Olympics to serve as qualifiers, and I hope the OCA and the Asian Games move in that direction."
There are also calls to reduce the number of events in the Asian Games to align with the Olympics. The Aichi-Nagoya Games feature 43 events, which is 11 more than the 32 events scheduled for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, the Doha organizing committee has ruled out any reduction in scale. Al-Buaainain emphasized, "We are not looking to remove any events or athletes, and there are currently no restrictions on the number of participants."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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