IOC Executive Board member Prince Feisal Al Hussein, centre, was among over 500 officials to attend the Qatar Olympic Committee reception in Hangzhou ©OCA

International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-presidents Ser Miang Ng and Juan Antonio Samaranch and Executive Board member Prince Feisal Al Hussein were among more than 500 guests to a reception hosted by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) here.

Singapore’s Ng, Spain’s Samaranch and Jordan’s Prince Feisal joined officials from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and across the Olympic Movement for the gathering that was staged on the sidelines of the Asian Games.

Hangzhou 2022 secretary general and Chinese Olympic Committee vice-president Li Lingwei also participated in the reception along with fellow IOC member Gunilla Lindberg of Sweden who represented the Association of National Olympic Committee as secretary general.

OCA Acting President Randhir Singh and acting director general Vinod Kumar Tiwari were among the other key officials in attendance as Qatari athletes participated in a panel session to share their aspirations for the Asian Games and offered guests the opportunity to ask questions.

Qatar has secured the hosting rights to stage the 2030 Asian Games and is among many countries considering bidding for the 2036 Olympics.

"We must reiterate our thanks once again to our Chinese colleagues for organising this excellent Games and bringing the best of Asia back together again," said QOC secretary general Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain.

The Qatar Olympic Committee used the reception to discuss plans for the Doha 2030 Asian Games ©OCA
The Qatar Olympic Committee used the reception to discuss plans for the Doha 2030 Asian Games ©OCA

"Just three days in, we have already witnessed so many fantastic races, matches and more.

"We are honoured to host the 2030 Asian Games, and through Project Legacy, we are committed to working with all Asian NOCs to ensure they can send their best possible teams.

"We are confident in our ability to host a fantastic event, but we also look forward to learning from Hangzhou and China, who consistently host excellent sporting events.

"There is of course a long way to go at these Games and a lot more sport to be played.

"But I wish you and all your teams the very best of luck over the coming days and weeks."

The panel at the reception featured Abdulla Al-Tamimi, who is ranked among the top 30 in the world in squash, and tennis player Hind Almudahka.

Almudahka is the daughter of chess grandmasters and former Qatar champions Mohammed Almudahka and Zhu Chen.

Her father, Mohammed Almudahka, also serves as the President of the Qatar Chess Federation.