Asian Para Games postponed due to COVID-19 impact in China

With the 2022 Asian Games, which was scheduled to be held in China's Hangzhou, postponed until next year, the Asian Para Games followed suit.

The Hangzhou Asian Para Games organizing committee (HAPGOC) and the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) confirmed the postponement of the Asian Para Games. The event was originally scheduled to take place from October 9 to 15.

The announcement follows the decision taken by the Olympic Council of Asia and the Hangzhou Asian Para Games organizing committee to postpone the 2022 Asian Games due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

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Organizing an event of such magnitude would not be possible given the current circumstances in China and the host city.

Taskforce to work on rescheduling of Asian Para Games

A task force comprising of the APC, the Chinese Paralympic Committee and HAPGOC will now work on rescheduling the Games to take place in 2023.

In a media statement, Asian Paralympic Committee President Majid Rashed said while the decision to postpone the Games wasn't an easy one, the organizing committee, along with other stakeholders, will work on new dates. He said:

"The Games preparations have been going very well and HAPGOC was ready to deliver outstanding Games. This was not an easy decision to make but we have taken it now to give a level of certainty to the IFs, NPCs and athletes who were planning to attend the Games. We will now work with the organizing committee on securing a new date that works for the para-sport calendar."

China successfully conducted the Beijing Winter Olympics. However, most international sporting events have been shelved in China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

The Games organizers added that 56 competition venues for the Asian Games and the Para Games have been completed. The new dates for the Games will be announced in the near future.