PT Usha Meets OCA President Ahead of Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya
PT Usha meets OCA President Sheikh Joaan Al Thani, discussing sports development before the Asian Games opening ceremony.
New Delhi, September 19 (Daily Kiran) : The President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), PT Usha, attended the official welcome ceremony for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. During the event, she met with Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), along with other members of the Asian sporting community.
Usha shared a photo from the meeting on X, expressing her enthusiasm: “It was wonderful to meet OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and OCA members at the official welcome ceremony. Together, we are paving the way for the development of sports across Asia.”
This ceremony took place just before the opening ceremony, which is scheduled for Saturday at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium. Athletes from across the continent will gather for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
Sheikh Joaan also led the 110th OCA Executive Board meeting in Nagoya prior to the Games. The meeting focused on preparations for upcoming OCA events, including the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh 2026, the Asian Beach Games in Cebu 2028, and the Asian Winter Games in Almaty 2029.
India’s campaign at the Asian Games has already begun, with action underway in teqball and cricket. In the women’s singles semifinals of teqball, Quimsy Joakim D’Souza faced defeat but will compete for the bronze medal. Meanwhile, the Indian women’s cricket team secured a significant victory over host Japan, advancing to the semifinals where they will face Bangladesh.
The Indian contingent aims to achieve its best-ever performance at the 2026 Asian Games. Historically, India delivered its finest results at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, clinching a record 107 medals, the first time surpassing 100 in a single edition.
