Cricket set for Asian Games return in 2022, IOA welcomes move
Bangkok: Cricket is set for a return at the Asian Games after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sunday included it in the sports programme for the 2022 edition in Hangzhou.
The decision was taken at the OCA's General Assembly here.
"Yes, cricket has been included in the sports programme for 2022 Hangzhou Games," OCA honorary vice-president Randhir Singh told PTI.
Cricket was dropped from the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia after featuring in 2010 and 2014, albeit without the presence of the game's powerhouse India.
India opted out of the quadrennial event owing to the team's packed international schedule.
The Indian Olympic Association welcomed the decision of the OCA to include cricket in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games programme.
"We welcome the decision of the OCA. Which format will be played is not yet confirmed but it is a welcome decision," said IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta, who attended the General Assembly in Bangkok.
He said the IOA would want to have an Indian cricket team in the 2022 Asian Games.
"The IOA will request the BCCI to send a cricket team in the 2022 Asian Games. India can win in both men and women's events and increase its medal tally," Mehta said.
In all probability, the T20 format will be played at the Asian Games, like it happened during the 2010 and 2014 edition in Guangzhou and Incheon respectively.
Since the mega event is still some years away, the BCCI has plenty of time to deliberate on the Indian team's participation.
"There is a lot of time to go for 2022 Asian Games. In due time, we will discuss and decide," a BCCI official said.
The decision to include cricket in the 2022 programme was on expected lines after Randhir visited Hangzhou last month to zero in on a suitable venue.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan won the men's and women's gold in 2014 while Bangladesh and Pakistan claimed the top honours in 2010.
Cricket has also been played once at the Commonwealth Games, in 1998, when India and Pakistan sent teams to Kuala Lumpur. However, the Shaun Pollock-led South Africa won the gold there and Australia, captained by Steve Waugh, the silver.
In the 2014 Asian Games, OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah had criticised the BCCI for not sending its teams for the second edition in a row.
"I'm sorry that India, for the second Games, did not send a team. I respect their decision but I believe the people in charge are not interested in promotion of the game but only in making it a business, in making money out of it. They want to control the market and control the game," he had said.
In another major decision taken at the OCA General Assembly on Sunday, it was announced that Oceania countries, including Australia, will be invited to compete at the 2022 Asian Games.
It was reported that the number of Oceania athletes who will be allowed to compete in Hangzhou will be decided at a later date.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
