Bahrain takes over as host for 2025 Asian Youth Games, replacing Uzbekistan

The Olympic Council of Asia has officially announced that the 2025 Asian Youth Games, initially planned to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, will now take place in Bahrain. The decision was made during a meeting of the OCA Executive Committee on December 2, 2024, and was shared on the Council's official social media accounts.

Photo: KUN.UZ

This change comes as a surprise to many, as Uzbekistan was initially selected to host the event, which was to bring together young athletes from across Asia. According to the OCA, the 3rd Asian Youth Games, originally scheduled for Tashkent, will now be hosted by Bahrain in 2025.

At the time of publication, there has been no official response from the Uzbekistan National Olympic Committee or the "Tashkent-2025" organizing committee regarding the OCA’s decision. The reasons behind the switch have not been disclosed yet, and local authorities have not made any public statements.

The Asian Youth Games are set to feature athletes aged 14 to 17 from 43 countries, competing in at least nine sports. The event was expected to provide a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents and gain international recognition.

For context, the first Asian Youth Games took place in Singapore in 2009, followed by Nanjing, China in 2013, and Hambantota, Sri Lanka in 2017. The 2021 games were held in Shantou, China, and now Bahrain will take the lead in 2025.

Additionally, Uzbekistan has also been considering its cities, Tashkent and Samarkand, as potential candidates to host the 2030 Asian Games. However, the country did not submit a bid for the 2030 event, leaving questions about its future involvement in hosting major international sports competitions.

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