QNA
Kuwait: A total of 26 candidates, including Qatar's Mutaz Barshim, have put forward their names for the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Athletes' Committee elections which will take place during the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.
The Athletes' Committee of OCA comprises 10 members two athletes each, one male and one female, from the five zones in Asia.
At the close of nominations earlier this month, a total of 26 candidates had come forward from East Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia and West Asia. It is the first time the OCA Athletes' Committee will have elected members.
The election phase will commence one day after the Opening Ceremony at the Hangzhou Asian Games and end two days before the Closing Ceremony with an estimated 15,000 athletes eligible to vote. The two athletes from each zone who obtain the highest number of votes shall be elected as members of the OCA Athletes' Committee.
The candidates list for West Asia features: Male Mutaz Barshim (Qatar, athletics), Mohammed Al Qarnas (Yemen, boxing), Abdelrahman Almasatfa (Jordan, karate), Adnan Taees Akkar (Iraq; athletics), Husein Alireza (Saudi Arabia; rowing), Abdallah Abushabab (Palestine; triathlon). Female Julyana Al Sadeq (Jordan; taekwondo), Hala Al Qadi (Palestine, karate).
The decision to have an election for the Athletes Committee was taken at the OCA/Olympic Solidarity Athletes Forum in March in Bangkok, Thailand, where a total of 89 participants from 44 National Olympic Committees were represented.