GUANGZHOU:  The Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) said in an announcement on Wednesday that the 2021 Asian Youth Games will be postponed till December 2022 due to the  ovid-19 pandemic,

The third Asian Youth Games was originally scheduled to be held in Shantou, south China's Guangdong province from November 20-28, 2021. The new schedule will be December 20-28, 2022, according to the Chinese Olympic Committee statement.

"The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Olympic Committee statement (COC) and the local organizing committee had detailed discussion and made the conclusion together, in order to protect the interests of every national/regional Olympic committee and ensure the safety and health of all athletes," the statement added.

Meanwhile, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng said on Friday that officials should make sure the Winter Olympics to be held in China in February next year will happen on time, the official according to the reports. The pandemic is a significant challenge to hosting the event, and virus control strategies should be targeted and scientific, Han said.

Shantou won the right to host the 3rd Asian Youth Games in 2019. The Asian Youth Games are among the top five multisport events in Asia.

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