On the Scene--Sports for 22 Asian Games; No China, Kazakh Weightlifters in Jakarta

(ATR) There could be 52 events at the 2022 Asian Games or as few as 33, with a range of numbers in between.

On Saturday the Olympic Council of Asia concluded a one-day meeting in Jakarta, approving a complex formula to determine the sports program for the next Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The easy part: all 33 events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be contested. OCA "may" include six from the Paris 2024 Program (that program will be decided in 2020). The local organizers can nominate two events and each of the five National Olympic Committee regions are entitled to nominate a sport.

Now the hard part: sepak takraw’s Asian Games future was "put under consideration" in light of questions about it’s place on previous editions of the Games. Aquatic sports, of which there are three on the Asian Games program, would no longer be listed as individual sports. Instead, each of the recognized disciplines from FINA, aquatic sport’s governing body, would be grouped under the umbrella of one sport--aquatics sports. (There’s seven FINA-recognized disciplines for those keeping count.)

And the final wrinkle in the math: the OCA EB must approve the final program for Hangzhou 2022.

The 2020 Sanya Beach Games have a simpler program with seven sports on the docket. The beach versions of football, handball, volleyball, aquatics and athletics will take place, along with 3x3 basketball and coastal rowing.

China and Kazakhstan were both banned from weightlifting competition at the 2018 Asian Games. The OCA EB deferred to the International Weightlifting Federation announcement late on Aug. 17 that said both countries were on a doping-violation rules list. At the 2014 Asian Games, China won 14 medals in weightlifting, seven gold, the most of any country. Kazakhstan was fourth earning four medals including one gold.

Written by Ed Hula III in Jakarta

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