Olympic Council President: Politics Have No Place in Sports

The president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, has stated that politics should not be involved in sports, a sentiment he voiced shortly before the official opening ceremony of the Asian Games. His remarks came in the wake of an incident where Taiwan's sports minister was initially barred from a welcoming ceremony and flag-raising event.

Sheikh Joaan, who is also the younger brother of the Emir of Qatar, acknowledged that politics had already entered the games. "I don't think, you know, the politicians or politics should be involved in sports," he told reporters. He added, "We don't mix sports with politics and we already have. We're going to take — if something like this will happen, we have our way of taking care of it. And all the delegations know what the protocol is and what should be done, and what shouldn't be done."

The incident involving Taiwan's sports minister, Lee Yang, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in badminton, was attributed by the OCA to a misunderstanding after Lee was eventually permitted to participate. However, Taiwanese media reported that the OCA had initially issued an order barring Lee, which officials were reportedly unable to produce when asked.

Chen Shih-kwei, a vice president of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, stated that the committee chose to "stick to our principles" and insisted on upholding the Olympic spirit to ensure equal and dignified participation. Lee himself told Taiwanese reporters that they were "doing our best to safeguard our rights and do not want to be subjected to any form of suppression." He expressed hope that more Taiwanese athletes could perform well to increase Taiwan's visibility on the international stage.

Taiwan competes in international sporting events like the Asian Games and the Olympics under the name Chinese Taipei and without its national flag, a condition stemming from China's territorial claims over the island. The Asian Games are scheduled to accommodate over 17,000 athletes and officials, with some events having already commenced to manage a packed schedule.