Mandaviya, OCA chief Al-Musallam discuss strengthening sporting ties
New Delhi, Sep 19 (UNI) union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday held talks with Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Director General and World Aquatics President Capt. Husain Al-Musallam on expanding India's sporting cooperation with Asian federations and strengthening the country's aquatic sports ecosystem.
Mandaviya and Al-Musallam discussed closer coordination between India's National Sports Federations and their respective Asian federations, while also exploring ways to boost grassroots participation and create pathways for young talent in aquatic disciplines. "Held a meeting with Capt. Husain Al-Musallam, Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and President of World Aquatics, on the sidelines of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Nagoya, Japan," Mandaviya shared on social media. "We discussed strengthening cooperation between India's National Sports Federations and their respective Asian federations and explored ways to further develop aquatic sports in India, with a focus on grassroots participation and nurturing young talent," he added.
The discussions also covered ways to increase grassroots participation and build a stronger talent-development pathway in aquatic sports. Mandaviya said the OCA had welcomed India's readiness to host various Asian-level championships, which he said reflected a shared commitment to strengthening sporting cooperation and development across the continent. "OCA welcomed India's readiness to host various Asian-level championships, reflecting our shared commitment to strengthening sporting cooperation and development across the continent," he wrote. Mandaviya is in Nagoya for the Asian Games, where India is competing across multiple sporting disciplines.
The Games bring together athletes from across the continent and are scheduled to officially open at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium on Saturday. The union Minister also attended the official welcome reception for the Asian Games alongside Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha. Sharing his experience from the event, Mandaviya said, "Experiencing Japan's gracious hospitality and rich culture! Yesterday, I had the honour of attending the Opening Ceremony of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and participating in Kagami-biraki, a traditional Japanese celebration.
Grateful for the warm reception and gracious hospitality." "It was also a delight to reconnect with friends from the Asian and global sporting community. Heartening to see how excited everybody is about India's sporting progress and its future," he added.
