OCA rules out Oceania joining Asian Games
Manama : The President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Shaikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, is confident that the cooperation with the Oceania confederation will continue beyond the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Shaikh Ahmad said the OCA was keen to continue this relationship with Oceania – but that it was unlikely to happen at the showpiece event, the Asian Games.
“I hope at the next Indoor Games we will have the same experience and Oceania will continue with us through coordination and cooperation,” he said. “If not, we will go the Beach Games as the Asian Games we already have 15,000 athletes and officials and we cannot add to that number.”
Shaikh Ahmad pointed out that 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.
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