The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) intends to move the Asian Games to the year just before the Summer Olympics to better synchronize the continental event with the global sports showcase. This adjustment is set to start from the Doha Asian Games, shifting from 2030 to 2031, as confirmed by Song Luzeng, OCA’s vice president in an interview with Xinhua. The proposal has received approval from the OCA Executive Board and is currently undergoing consultations with international sports federations.
“It would allow the Asian Games to serve as a qualifying event for the Olympics, giving more elite athletes valuable competition opportunities and raising the overall standard of the Games,” Song explained. He mentioned that the management of Olympic qualification is currently in the hands of international federations, and the OCA is in the final stages of discussions with some of them regarding the new plan. If approved, the transition would commence with the rescheduling of the Doha 2030 Asian Games to 2031, subsequently affecting the Riyadh 2034 Asian Games, which would be pushed to 2035.
The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, already scheduled, will maintain its original dates from 19 September to 4 October 2026. India has expressed interest in hosting the Asian Games 2038, aiming to bring the event back to home soil for the first time since 1982. The proposal for India to host the 2038 Asian Games was discussed at the Olympic Council of Asia’s executive board meeting in Sanya, China. India, which hosted the inaugural edition in 1951 and last hosted the event in 1982, could potentially welcome the prestigious continental competition for the third time.
