For The First Time Participating In The Asian Games, Oceania Drops 300 Athletes In 5 Sports

The venue for the opening and closing ceremonies and the Hangzhou 2022 athletic competition (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that as many as 300 athletes from 17 National Olympic Committees (NOC) in the Oceania region will compete in five sports to be competed at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

On its official website, quoted by Antara, the OCA mentions the five sports, namely triathlon, athletics, wushu, roller skating and weightlifting.

OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam said athletes from Oceania who finished in the top three would receive medals of honor.

"Oceania will take part for the first time in the Asian Games. They will receive a medal of honor and it will not be counted in the final medal tally," said Husain Al Musallam.

The Hangzhou Asian Games will take place on September 10-25, 2022 by competing in 40 sports with 61 disciplines.

As many as 10,000 athletes are expected to appear in the 19th edition of the biggest sporting event in Asia. Hangzhou will be the third city in China to host the Asian Games, after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.

Earlier, Acting President of the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) Raja Randhir Singh said preparations for the Hangzhou Asian Games were proceeding as planned without a hitch.

He also promised to make the Hangzhou Asian Games an unforgettable event.

"We have assured that the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou will be an unforgettable event. Preparations are going smoothly and I hope next year the situation will be normal," Singh said while attending the 40th OCA General Assembly in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last weekend.