Asian Olympic Boss Says Politicians Need to Stay Out of Sport at Nagoya Games
Sheikh Joaan said the OCA will keep politics out of sport after Taiwan’s minister was briefly barred from a ceremony and later allowed in.
- On Friday, Taiwan Sports Minister Lee Yang was blocked from a flag-raising ceremony at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, triggering a standoff until he was eventually permitted entry.
- Taiwan competes as Chinese Taipei without its flag due to China's political claim on the island, making government official participation at international sporting events a frequent source of diplomatic tension.
- Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani stated Saturday that "I think that our focus here is on the athletes and on making sure that everyone, all the athletes, have the equal rights in competing," emphasizing politics should stay out of sports.
- OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam clarified the ceremony was intended for participants only, stating " not for the delegation from the ministry or from the government," after Taiwan's cabinet complained of "unreasonable obstruction."
- Managing 43 sports and 469 medal events for more than 17,000 athletes presents logistical challenges, though Sheikh Joaan insists preparations remain "hopefully being back on track" despite organizational complaints.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Asian Olympic boss says politicians need to stay out of ...
Asian Olympic chief calls for politicians to stay out of Games after Lee Yang row
Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani has urged politicians to stay out of sport after Taiwan minister Lee Yang faced an entry dispute at the Asian Games.
Asian Olympic boss says politicians need to stay out of sport at Nagoya Games
Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani stated politicians should not be involved in sports. This statement followed an incident where Taiwan's sports minister was initially blocked from a ceremony. The minister was eventually permitted entry after a protest by the Taiwan delegation. Organizers defended the local arrangements despite complaints about transport and accommodations.
(Beijing=Yonhap News) Correspondent Han Jong-gu = Taiwan's Minister of Sport and Sports was attempting to attend an event for the Taiwanese delegation at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games when the Olympic Council of Asia (OC...
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