The Olympic Council of Asia supports 11 countries and prepares for the 2026 championships
In a strategic move aimed at strengthening sports infrastructure and developing human resources across Asia, the Athletes' Commission of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced a comprehensive roadmap for the new year. At the forefront of this plan is an ambitious initiative to provide financial and logistical support to 11 National Olympic Committees in Asia through the Athletes' Projects Fund, one of the OCA's key development arms.
A strategic meeting to shape the future
The committee held its first preparatory meeting for 2026 via videoconference, chaired by Ms. Ning Ding. Ms. Ding opened the meeting with remarks commending the exceptional efforts of the members over the past year, praising the spirit of commitment and enthusiasm that characterized the work environment. She emphasized that the next phase requires even greater collaboration to ensure continued positive engagement and the achievement of the desired goals for Asian sport.
Support details and targeted areas
During the meeting, Mr. Jamyang Namgyal, Director of the Athletes' Commission, gave a detailed presentation on the operational mechanism of the "Athletes' Projects Fund." Mr. Namgyal explained that the approved grants will cover 11 vital projects geographically distributed to ensure inclusive support. The list of beneficiary countries includes: Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Japan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Mongolia, Pakistan, Singapore, and Tajikistan .
This diverse geographical distribution aims to reduce the gap between Asian countries in the field of sports, and to encourage the exchange of information, resources and technical expertise between national committees in different regions, which is ultimately in the interest of Asian athletes.
2026: A year of major challenges and historic milestones
The committee members discussed at length the busy schedule for 2026, which represents a pivotal year in the history of Asian sport, as the Olympic Council of Asia oversees the organization of three major tournaments that require enormous logistical and technical preparations:
- The Asian Beach Games: scheduled to be held in China during April, which is an important platform for beach sports and sports tourism.
- The 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya): hosted by Japan in the summer, it is considered the most important sporting event in the continent and the second largest in the world after the Olympics in terms of size and participation.
- The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, to be hosted by the Saudi capital Riyadh in December, reflect the kingdom's rapid growth as a global sporting destination.
The importance of coordination and unifying efforts
The participants concluded their meeting by emphasizing the need for close and continuous coordination between all national committees and the Olympic Council of Asia. This emphasis aims to ensure that all necessary support is provided to athletes participating in these championships, whether technical, psychological, or financial, thus guaranteeing a distinguished representation of the Asian continent in international arenas and enhancing its standing on the global sports map.
