FILE — This picture taken on September 27, 2016 shows spectators watching as players compete during a men’s 3-on-3 basketball match between Nepal (red) and Indonesia (white) at the Asian Beach Games in Vietnam’s central coastal city of Danang. (Photo by QUANG MINH / AFP)
The sixth edition of the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China, has been postponed for a second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on Wednesday.
The Games were originally scheduled for Nov. 28 to Dec. 6 but were pushed back to April 2-10, 2021 after China said the only international sports events allowed in the country this year would be trials for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“The OCA consulted all members of the Executive Board to seek their approval of the move to postpone, and it was met with unanimous agreement,” the continental governing body said in a statement.
“The decision aims at serving the common interests of all related National Olympic Committees and ensuring the safety and health of the athletes and all relevant participants.”
The OCA also said it was in discussions with organizers and stakeholders to reschedule the event.