BEIJING: The 2022 Asian Games, which were scheduled to take place in Hangzhou in September, were on Friday postponed amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in China.
According to state-run CGTN TV, the Olympic Council of Asia has postponed the 19th edition of the multi-sports Games, the second biggest sporting event after the Olympics in size.
The Games were scheduled to take place from September 10-25 in the capital of Zhejiang province, about 175 kilometres southwest of Shanghai.
"The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that the 19th Asian Games, originally scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 10 to 25, 2022, will be postponed," said a statement on the official Games website, first posted on Chinese state media.
The development comes at a time when China is battling a record number of daily cases in Shanghai, which is only a short train ride away from Games host city Hangzhou.