BANGKOK, Thailand – The government has distanced itself from the Olympic Council of Asia’s decision to cancel the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which were scheduled to take place in Bangkok and Chonburi province in November. The council cited a lack of firm funding commitment and a shortfall in competitor registrations as reasons for withdrawing Bangkok’s hosting rights.
Jirawat Arunyakanon, an adviser to the Tourism and Sports Minister, clarified that the government had not intended to cancel the event but had sought a review of the remaining 1.3 billion baht budget to ensure transparency and efficient use of funds. The budget review was prompted by a reduction in the number of sports and competitors.
The total budget for the event was set at 2.29 billion baht, with initial plans for 38 sports and 14,000 athletes. However, as of last Saturday (Aug 17), only 1,938 athletes had registered across 24 sports, leading to concerns over the allocation of funds.
Caretaker Tourism and Sports Minister Sermsak Pongpanich also requested that the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the State Audit Office examine the budget disbursement of 800-900 million baht to ensure the funds were appropriately spent on athlete training. (NNT)
