The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has decided to revoke Thailand's hosting of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, scheduled to take place in Bangkok and Chonburi this November.
In a letter dated August 19, Husain Al Musallam, Director General of the OCA, wrote that the cancellation decision was made by the OCA Executive Board of the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games due to concerns that Thailand would not be able to fulfill the preparation requirements in time.
Referring to a letter sent to him from Thai authorities, Al Musallam wrote, "As you have mentioned in your letter, ‘as soon as the budget for the Games is released, we will proceed with all unsettled matters. Since the budget has still not been released, this will have a domino effect on all the functional areas, and the operation of the Games will be seriously affected.’"
With only three months to go before the Games and no test events in sight, the OCA cannot risk the Games and has decided to cancel them, according to Al Musallam.
The letter was addressed to Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, and Gongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand.
Gongsak has told reporters that the cancellation has negatively impacted Thailand’s confidence and image, adding that Bangkok will also have to pay compensation to the OCA, which will include license fees for live broadcasts and about Bt50 million for IT system installation.
He did not reveal the exact amount of compensation due but claimed that Thailand had already allocated more than Bt980 million for the preparations.
“If Thailand refuses to pay the compensation, it could risk its athletes being banned from the Asian Games in Japan in 2026, as the participation of Thai athletes must be arranged through the OCA,” Gongsak added.
