OCA head Sheikh Ahmad rules out participation of Oceania in Asian Games
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: The Olympic Council of Asia President HE Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah ruled out the participation of Oceania confederation at the Asian Games.
“We can continue to have our co-ordination and co-operation at the Beach Games and Indoor Games, but for the Asian Games the number is very high and we cannot have an Olympic Village with more than 15,000 people,” Sheikh Ahmad said here on Monday.
The high-profile Kuwaiti official pointed out the Asian Games sports were open to all 45 National Olympic Committees, with no qualifying process, but if this situation changed then some team sports from Oceania, for example in volleyball, could qualify for the Asian Games through a joint Asia-Oceania tournament.
It is the first time that Asia and Oceania are competing together at a multi-sport event although Australia and New Zealand took part in the OCA’s 8th Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan, in February as guest athletes and were not eligible to win medals.
