Sanya, April 21 (QNA) - HE President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani chaired the 109th Executive Board meeting in Sanya, China, on the sidelines of the 2026 Asian Beach Games.

He opened the meeting with a welcome address, praising members for their continued efforts in serving the Asian Olympic movement.

The board discussed key agenda items, including approval of the previous meeting minutes in Kuwait and updates from organizing committees, particularly the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will feature 43 sports, 70 competitions, and 468 events, alongside rising ticket sales and strong public interest.

Financial and governance reports were also discussed, including first-quarter 2026 statements and audit and risk committee updates, underscoring transparency standards.

The meeting addressed future Asian Games bids, including Mongolia's proposal for the 2030 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), and confirmed continued evaluation of hosting bids across Asia.

In this context, His Excellency affirmed the council's ongoing efforts to assess bids from countries wishing to host its events, amid growing interest in staging OCA competitions across the continent.

It also approved Johor, Malaysia, to host the 2029 Asian Beach Games and endorsed a nomination for Kairat Shamiev as Vice President for the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Almaty.

The board further confirmed that Doha will host the next General Assembly on Jan. 27, 2027, which will elect the OCA President for the 2027–2035 term, and set April 27 for signing an agreement with the Philippines for the 2028 Asian Beach Games in Cebu. (QNA)