Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, has confirmed that Thailand will host the sixth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) this November.
In an urgent letter to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Prawit assured that the Games would proceed as scheduled, featuring 38 sports and a total of 364 gold medals up for grabs.
The announcement comes amid tensions between the OCA and Thai officials, following a decision to remove 14 sports from the program just three months ahead of the Games, which prompted the OCA to convene a meeting to discuss the situation.
Scheduled from November 21-30, the tournament will take place in Bangkok and Chon Buri. “We no longer want to wait on the government to make a decision,” stated Chaiyapak Siriwat, Vice-President of the OCA. “Gen Prawit has confirmed that the tournament will go ahead in November and that we will have 38 sports as planned.”
A meeting is set for next Monday involving all concerned parties, where a definitive answer regarding the event’s organization will be provided. Chaiyapak, who also heads the Games organizing committee, emphasized the importance of addressing issues raised by various sports associations affected by the recent cuts, including swimming, billiards, netball, rowing, hockey, weightlifting, volleyball, fencing, badminton, and cheerleading.
Credit: Bangkok Post
