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The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has announced that it has received bids from political rivals and neighbours Saudi Arabia and Qatar to host the 2030 Asian Games.

Doha, capital of Qatar, and Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, submitted official bids to host the 21st Asian Games before the OCA’s 22nd April deadline with the bid document from the National Olympic Committee of each country accompanied by letters of support from the city and respective governments.

Doha hosted the 15th Asian Games in December 2006 while Saudi Arabia has never organised an OCA multi-sport event.

Commenting on receiving the rival bids to host the showpiece event, Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, stated "the OCA is delighted to receive two strong bids for our Asian Games in 2030.

“It shows the trust and confidence in the Olympic Movement in Asia and further enhances our reputation of hosting world-class sporting events on a major scale.”

The 19th Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, China in 2022 and the 20th ASIAD will be in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in 2026.

In January, the OCA sent a circular to all 45 National Olympic Committees inviting bids for the 2030 Games.

Sheikh Ahmad added "wWith these two bids for the 2030 Asian Games we now have stability and continuity in our sports movement for the next decade.

“This will allow our National Olympic Committees, our administrators and, above all, our athletes to make solid plans for the future in the short term, medium term and long term.

“It puts us in an envious position in terms of our sports calendar and highlights again that Asia is a major partner in the global Olympic movement.”

The election of the host city for the 21st Asian Games in 2030 will be held at the OCA General Assembly on 29th November 2020, on the sidelines of the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China.

The Asian Games was held for the first time in 1951 in New Delhi, India, although the roots of the continent’s international multi-sport event date back to the first Far Eastern Championship in Manila, Philippines in 1913.

Image: The opening ceremony for the 18th Asian Games in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

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