Delegates from National Olympic Committees in South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia heard progress reports from organisers of the 18th Asian Games 2018 and the 1st Winter Children of Asia International Sports Games-Sakhalin 2019, as well as presentations from Sport For Tomorrow-Tokyo 2020 and the Sri Lanka NOC’s “OVEP Debater 2017” pilot scheme.

*The Secretary General of the 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang 2018 organising committee (INASGOC), Mr Eris Herryanto, informed the NOCs that the draw for team sports would take place on July 15. 

In other news, the online accreditation system deadline has been extended from April 30 to May 15, and tickets to watch the 40 sports and 463 events are expected to go on sale to the public next month.

On the volunteer front, over 24,600 people, including 456 from overseas, have applied to be one of 13,000 volunteers required at the Games, from August 18 to September 2. There will be 11,000 volunteers in Jakarta and 2,000 in Palembang, capital of South Sumatra.

*The Sport For Tomorrow sports exchange and development programme run by the Japanese Government in relation to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics aims to reach 10 million people in over 100 countries by the time of the Games, with the focus on developing countries since it was launched in August 2014.

*The 1st Winter Children of Asia International Sports Games will be held in Sakhalin, Russian Federation, from February 9-16, 2019 and will follow six editions of the summer Children of Asia Games. There will be eight sports, including ice hockey skills, six venues and more than 600 judges and referees. The age limit is 16 years and under, born after February 17, 2002. (Ocasia.org)