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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider AIMAG 2024 cancelled

AIMAG 2024 cancelled

Published Aug 20, 2024 03:09 am

At A Glance

  • The Olympic Council of Asia announced on Tuesday, Aug. 20, that it has cancelled the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) that was scheduled to be held in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand on Nov. 21 to 30.

The Olympic Council of Asia announced on Tuesday, Aug. 20, that it has cancelled the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) that was scheduled to be held in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand on Nov. 21 to 30.

In a letter released to National Olympic Committee (NOC) members, OCA Acting President Raja Randhir Singh said the Executive Board unanimously made the decision due to lack of budget, infrastructure and other Host City Contract (HCC) requirements in an emergency meeting last Thursday, Aug. 15.

The AIMAG Organizing Committee was given until Monday, Aug. 19 to inform the OCA if they can meet with all the requirements of the HCC, but OCA said it was unable to satisfy the criteria requested by the latest deadline.

“The OCA expresses its sincere sympathies to the athletes who were due to compete at the AIMAG and recognizes the significant impact this decision will have on them,” a separate press release said.

“Despite numerous attempts made by the OCA to ensure the Games could go ahead, it was clear that it would not be possible and the OCA cancelled the event in the best interests of the athletes and all stakeholders,” it added.

The said edition of the event was postponed several times due to the pandemic, and then a change of government in Thailand.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Bambol Tolentino said the cancellation was “frustrating, but we’ll have to move on.”

The country was supposed to field 421 athletes who will compete in 37 of the 41 sports with a goal of eclipsing its previous finish of two gold, 14 silver and 14 bronze medals in the 2017 edition in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

“But there is no wasted time and effort as far as our athletes are concerned because they remain in top form and there are other international competitions that they could focus on,” Tolentino said.

National Olympic Committee of Thailand vice president Dato Seri Chaiyapak Siriwat also wrote OCA members about the cancellation and expressed his profound disappointment.

“Cabinet reshuffles at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and changes in the government funding initially designated for the Organizing Committee, have undeniably impacted the preparations” he said. “It is very disappointing that the reasons for such a significant decision are not sufficient to warrant the discontinuation of our plans.”

“I am deeply disheartened by the lack of commitment demonstrated by the relevant domestic stakeholders,” he added.

The AIMAG are a unification of the continental indoor games—which were played in 2005 with Bangkok as inaugural host, 2007 and 2009—and the martial arts games in 2009 also in Bangkok.

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