Voting for sports events committees is the best way to get the right people on board during organizational shifts. That’s what the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) did after the Asian Games 2023–originally scheduled for September 2022–were postponed last year.
The committee took just a month to resolve the issue and set a new date that didn’t clash with any international sports event for the Asian Games–but why did it have to do this in the first place?
The 2023 Asian Games were postponed because of COVID-19, which spread rapidly in and around the host city of Hangzhou.
The issue was essentially three-fold: the proximity to Shanghai, months-long lockdowns, and constant COVID resurgences that forced the Chinese government to limit travel into and out of the country.
The Asian Games are a diplomatic and cultural event that fosters friendship among countries across Asia, which have always been politically turbulent. They enable athletes from all kinds of backgrounds to show their skills and celebrate their passion for sports.
The Games also promote understanding of Asian cultures, with millions flocking to Asian cities every year the event is held. This encourages cultural exchanges that can increase acceptance and respect, which is why the postponement of the 2023 Asian Games was such a shock.
After the postponement announcement, the OCA created a committee to hold discussions with the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC), the Chinese Olympic Committee, and other stakeholders.
The committee has announced the Asian Games will be held from September 23 to October 6, 2023, in Hangzhou City, with minor events taking place in Ningbo, Huzhou, Wenzhou, Jinhua, and Shaoxing.
More than 10,000 athletes from forty different countries are expected to participate in the Asian Games, such as:
You can learn more about the 19th Asian Games on its official website.
The Games will include forty sports and sixty-one disciplines spread across fifty-four venues in Hangzhou and the other five co-host cities. These include the following:
However, two roller skating events were canceled because of a lack of participating national Olympic committees. This could have been resolved by using an online voting system like ElectionBuddy to elect the right people for each zone.
The torch relay will begin in Hangzhou on September 8th, with the first of the 2,022 torchbearers starting the walk at Youngjin Park. However, the actual event will begin on September 23rd, with the sports and disciplines being tested and the first gold medal being awarded on the next day.
However, here’s an example timetable for the wrestling category:
Venue | Xiaoshan Sports Centre Gymnasium | |||
Date | Session | Time | Gender | Event |
9/30/2023 Saturday | WLF01 | 10:00-12:00 | W | 49 kg Group B/55 kg Group B |
15:00-17:00 | W | 49 kg Group A | ||
19:00-21:00 | W | 55 kg Group A | ||
10/1//2023 Sunday | WLF02 | 10:00-12:00 | M | 61 kg Group B/67 kg Group B |
15:00-17:00 | M | 61 kg Group A | ||
19:00-21:00 | M | 67 kg Group A | ||
10/2/2023 Monday | WLF03 | 10:00-12:00 | W | 59 kg Group B/64 kg Group B |
15:00-17:00 | W | 59 kg Group A | ||
19:00-21:00 | W | 64 kg Group A |
You can look at the timetables for all forty sports and sixty-one disciplines on the 19th Asian Games’ sports page.
Interested in learning more about the Asian Games? Check out our latest post on Olympic games results!