Hangzhou Asian Games to begin on September 23, 2023

A person wearing a protective mask walks past a souvenir store for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China May 6, 2022. China Daily via REUTERS/File Photo

NEW DELHI—The Hangzhou Asian Games, which could not be hosted this year because of COVID-19, will be held from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 2023, the governing Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on Tuesday.

The 19th edition of the multi-sports Games, second in size only to the Summer Olympics, was scheduled to take place from Sept. 10-25 in the capital of Zhejiang province, some 175 kilometers southwest of China’s financial center Shanghai.

The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the organizers to postpone the Games in May and the OCA Executive Board (EB) subsequently set up a task force to determine new dates.

“The task force over the last two months held various discussions with the Chinese Olympic Committee, Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee and other stakeholders to find a window for the Games which did not conflict with other major international sporting events,” the OCA said in a statement.

“The recommended dates by the task force were duly approved by the OCA EB.”

The governing body thanked the Chinese organizers and the government “for their hard work in preparing for the Games during the pandemic and ensuring they can take place next year.”