Nagoya, Japan, October 04 (QNA) - Qatar is preparing with enthusiasm to host the 21st Asian Games in Doha in 2030, HE Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia and a member of the board of the Doha 2030 Asian Games Organizing Committee, said.

Speaking after Qatar received the Asian Games flag in Nagoya, Al Buenain said the handover marked the formal beginning of preparations to welcome athletes and sporting delegations from across Asia back to Doha.

He said the 2006 Asian Games in Doha represented a major milestone in Qatar's sporting development. The 2030 edition, he added, would go beyond simply hosting the Games again, with Qatar seeking to deliver a distinctive sporting experience shaped by athletes, Olympic committees and communities and reflecting the energy and evolving character of Asian sport.

Al Buenain described the Asian Games as a unifying platform that brings together nations, communities and athletes from across one of the world's most diverse continents. He said the event provides opportunities for sporting competition, national pride and shared experiences whose benefits can continue well beyond the competition venues.

He said his roles within the Qatar Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia and the Doha 2030 organizing committee had given him a clear understanding of the responsibility involved in staging the Games. That responsibility, he said, extends to athletes, national Olympic committees and the wider Asian sporting community, with the goal of delivering an event that reflects the stature of the continent.

His Excellency said preparations for Doha 2030 would be guided by cooperation, mutual respect and friendship - values that have long underpinned the Asian Games. He said he looked forward to working with people across Asia throughout the journey to the 2030 Games. (QNA)