The Asian Games scheduled to take place in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in September has been postponed until 2023 because of the prevailing Covid-19 situation, Randhir Singh, the acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), told Reuters on Friday.

The 19th edition of the multi-sports Games, second in size only to the Summer Olympics, was scheduled to take place from September 10-25 in the capital of Zhejiang province.

The decision to postpone the Games was taken at an OCA executive board meeting in Tashkent on Friday.

Most international sporting events in China have been postponed or cancelled since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the notable exception of the Winter Olympics, which went ahead in Beijing under strict health controls in February.

Hong Kong's sports sector lawmaker, Kenneth Fok, said it's a pity that the Asian Games have been postponed, pointing out that many athletes are already in the mainland or other places preparing for the event.

"Hopefully, a new schedule can be announced soon so they can re-arrange their training. And the selection process is supposed to be carried out again by the Olympics committee here," Fok said. (RTHK/Reuters)