Doha will be hosting the 2030 Asian Games, while Riyadh will organize the 2034 edition of the multi-sporting event following the delegatory vote done during the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly in Muscat, Oman.
With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Qatar in the frontline as hosts, the economic titans in West Asia will have more time in preparation for the Asian Games in the next decade.
OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah spearheaded the vote-counting where he witnessed that the two richest cities garnered the most number of votes among the delegates.
Sheikh Ahmad handed the 2030 Asian Games to Doha after it garnered the highest number of votes.
The hosting of the 2034 Asian Games was approved immediately by the OCA executive board, handing the 2034 bid to Doha's rival Riyadh.
It meant that for the next ten years, the Asian Games would be alternately organized in West Asia only, with two powerhouse nations boasting their economic supremacy to each other.
The meeting repeatedly crashed due to technical problems. While some countries partook virtually, others participated physically.
Apart from the technical difficulties, a commotion happened when other delegates clicked the tab named "learn ethical hacking," which resulted in many speculations that the ballot can be manipulated.
There was also an instance when a replacement of a laptop occurred. It was the laptop of an OCA staff member who stumbled upon the hacking course tab. It was replaced immediately by an Omani technician.
After a series of turmoils at the JW Marriott Hotel, the OCA decided to proceed using the old way of voting. Some 26 delegates from different nations voted manually through a ballot box. The remaining 19 countries had voted electronically.
"I apologise for the technical problem we are facing during our voting. Today the difficult things have been solved and the easy things have been problems," Sheikh Ahmad said.
Before the voting commenced, Sheikh Ahmad reminded Doha and Riyadh that their hosting is a 'win-win' situation already, regardless of who will host the earlier or the latter Asian Games.
The history of the diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia and Qatar happened in 2017. Being the pioneer of an alliance with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain, and the city of Riyadh, severed ties with Doha after accusing the Qatari city of supporting movements of Iran and Islamic terrorists.
Qatar disproved the claims of Saudi Arabia with support from Kuwait recently. Several countries approved of Kuwait's stand on the dispute.
"Our goal is simple. We want to see more Asian athletes in the future, on future Olympic podiums," stated Qatar Olympic Committee chief Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani before the voting proceeded.
The Qatari Olympic chief thanked the delegates for exerting efforts to vote. He added that Qatar wanted to be a part of the big sports event.
Qatar also eyes the 2032 Summer Olympics through bidding participation.
The 2021 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Qatar.
In a video, the Qatari stadiums surrounded by advanced sporting infrastructure have taken the guests by surprise. The same venue will be restructured once the 2030 Asian Games comes closer.
Qatar allotted a $1.3 billion budget for the 2030 Asian Games. The Qatari team revealed that the infrastructure for the 2030 Asian games was already set down.
Meanwhile, the president of Saudi's Olympic Committee, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud, highlighted that the Saudi Arabians aim for prestige as part of the national priority.
"It has unwavering political and public support," Prince Abdulaziz added. "Sport has changed social life in the kingdom -- especially for women."
Prince Abdulaziz remarked that Saudi is already ready for the hosting of the Asian Games. He presented the infrastructure for the Formula 1 2021 as well as several boxing arenas.
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