PUBLISHED : 19 Aug 2024 at 20:27
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has announced the cancellation of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (Aimag), which were set to take place in Bangkok and Chonburi from November 21-30. The decision was revealed by Dr. Gongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), during a press conference on Monday evening.
According to Dr. Yodmani, the OCA’s decision came via an “urgent” communication due to funding issues and insufficient time to effectively prepare for the event. He stated, “That’s how things are at the moment, but the OCA has left the door open for Thailand to stage the same event in the future.”
The announcement coincided with an SAT meeting focused on the Games’ budgeting at the organization’s headquarters in Hua Mark. A report from the OCA highlighted that the Games’ organizing committee failed to meet crucial criteria outlined in the Host City Contract by the stipulated deadline of August 19 at 17:00 Bangkok time.
Furthermore, the OCA’s decision was based on a progress report presented to the 43rd OCA General Assembly on May 11, 2024, where the organizing committee had committed to fulfilling all event requirements by July 2024. Following an emergency meeting, the OCA Executive Board unanimously agreed that unless nine essential conditions were met by Monday, cancellation was inevitable: “The OCA had no choice but to cancel the event,” the report noted.
The OCA also confirmed that Thailand could still submit a proposal to host future editions of the tournament following the next Games scheduled in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2026.
This sixth edition of the Aimag had already been rescheduled multiple times due to the Covid pandemic and political changes in Thailand. Previously, concerns about funding shortages were raised by Chaiyapak Siriwat, vice-president of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, who also noted that the Thai government’s decision to eliminate 14 sports just three months prior to the Games had sparked controversy in the regional sports community.
