Uzbekistan has lost its right to host the 3rd Asian Youth Games in 2025 in Tashkent. On December 2, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that the event, originally planned for September 7–20, 2025, will now take place in Bahrain. The decision was made during the OCA Executive Board meeting, Gazeta.uz reports.
The National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan informed the OCA that it could not complete the construction of the Olympic Village in Tashkent on time. Given the qualification constraints for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (Senegal), postponement of the Games was deemed unfeasible. Bahrain offered to host the event, guaranteeing facilities, accommodations, and medical services.
The OCA Executive Board unanimously approved Bahrain as the new host and expressed gratitude to Uzbekistan for its efforts, emphasizing that Uzbekistan may host future large-scale events.
Uzbekistan was initially awarded the right to host the Youth Asian Games in September 2019. In 2020, the Uzbek Cabinet approved plans for the event, and in November 2022, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev laid the foundation stone for the Olympic Village. Spanning 104 hectares and estimated at $289 million, the complex was set to house key sports institutions post-Games.
CentralasianLIGHT.org,
December 2, 2024