The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has confirmed the cancellation of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), which were scheduled to take place in Bangkok and Chonburi from November 21-30.
The announcement was made by Dr. Gongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), on Monday evening. He informed the media that the SAT received an “urgent” email from the OCA detailing the cancellation of the multi-sport event.
The OCA cited a lack of available funds and insufficient time to prepare for the tournament as the main reasons for the cancellation. “That’s how things are at the moment, but the OCA has left the door open for Thailand to host the event in the future,” Gongsak stated.
The OCA’s email arrived during a SAT meeting to discuss the budget for the Games at their headquarters in Hua Mak. According to a report on the OCA website, the organizing committee failed to meet the requirements outlined in the Host City Contract, with a final deadline of Monday, August 19, 2024, at 17:00 Bangkok time.
The decision to cancel the event came after a progress report presented to the 43rd OCA General Assembly on May 11, 2024, in Bangkok, where the AIMAG Organising Committee had promised that all preparations would be completed by July 2024.
During an OCA Executive Board Emergency Meeting, it was unanimously determined that unless the organizers fulfilled nine specific conditions by the deadline, the Games would be canceled. “The OCA had no choice but to cancel the event,” the report stated.
Moreover, the OCA Executive Board agreed that if Thailand wishes to host the tournament after the next edition scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2026, they could apply following the standard procedures.
This sixth edition of the Games had already been rescheduled to November 21-30 after several postponements due to the Covid pandemic and a change in government in Thailand.
Concerns regarding the government’s ability to fund the AIMAG were first raised last week by Chaiyapak Siriwat, vice-president of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, who also heads the AIMAG organizing committee. He indicated that the abrupt removal of 14 sports three months before the Games sparked significant unrest within the Asian sports community.
Credit: Bangkok Post
