The postponed sixth edition of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Thailand will now be held from November 17 to 26 in 2023.
This was confirmed by the Olympic Council of Asia and Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who earlier urged the House of Representatives and Senate to include the AIMAG as one of the budget priorities for 2022.
The AIMAG was originally scheduled for March 10 to 19, 2022, but Thailand’s government and its national Olympic committee sought for the postponement because of COVID-19 pandemic concerns.
“The OCA fully understands and respects the decision of the NOC of Thailand, Thailand AIMAG Organizing Committee and the Royal Thai government to postpone [the Games] … due to the COVID-19 global pandemic,” OCA acting president Raja RandhirSingh said in his letter to Thai NOC president Gen. Prawit Wongsuwon.
The AIMAG is staged every four years and for the sixth edition, the games will be hosted by Bangkok and Chonburi.
“The postponement would allow our athletes to be better prepared for the AIMAG, which ranks as one of the most important multi-sport competitions in the continent,” said Tolentino.
A 160-athlete delegation by the Philippines to the AIMAG will compete in 21 of the 31 sports programmed by the Thai organizers.
On Monday, Tolentino confirmed that the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games will open in mid-May next year.
The POC chief made the announcement following Monday’s online SEA Games Federation meeting among the games’ 11 member countries.
The Vietnamese organizers, according to Tolentino, were amenable to any date for the opening ceremony in mid-May.
“Cambodia will host the 32nd edition in 2023 and they want to have at least a year’s window for them to prepare,” Tolentino said. “Initially, they wanted the opening ceremony to be on May 5 or earlier.”
Cambodia will host its first SEA Games and has set its opening ceremony on May 5, 2023.