The coronavirus pandemic has led to many disruptions in the hosting of sports events and tournaments across the world. 

The third GCC Games, which was scheduled to be held earlier in April in Kuwait, has been now rescheduled to March 7-17 next year but the multi-sport event will see the inclusion of the GCC Beach Games disciplines after the heads of the GCC Olympic Committees on Monday decided to have a unified GCC Games.

Officials confirmed that the unified GCC Games will be only for the third edition in Kuwait. It means that six beach sports disciplines – handball, volleyball, 3x3basketball, football, jet ski and open water swimming – will also be held along with the 12 regular sports at the Games.

The decision was one of the many taken during the virtual meeting of the heads of the GCC Olympic committees. 

The sultanate was represented by the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) president Sayyid Khalid al Busaidi. He was accompanied by OOC vice-chairman Sheikh Saif al Hosni, OOC secretary general Taha al Kishry and OOC board member Saada al Ismaili.

Among the other major decisions taken was the setting up of a joint GCC working group, which would be headed by Oman’s Taha al Kishry, to follow up the implementation of sports development strategy among the six member nations. The working group is expected to lay down a general framework for the development of sports. 

Also announced on Monday was the formation of a board for the GCC Sports Dispute Resolution Committee. A general secretariat of the committee will be set up in Bahrain after the Bahrain Olympic Committee requested for it. Bahrain’s Abdulrahman al Khashram has been named the executive director of the committee.

The Olympic chiefs also sought an unified vision to enhance sports among all segments of society and urged national sports associations to support school competitions.