IOC Announces Preferred Hosts For 2030 Youth Olympic Games; Asuncion, Bangkok And Santiago Invited For Dialogue
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday announced that Asuncion (Paraguay), Bangkok (Thailand) and Santiago (Chile) have been invited into a Targeted Dialogue phase for the selection of the host city of the 2030 Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
All three cities have been identified as preferred hosts, and the IOC will now begin discussions with them on preliminary proposals aimed at reforming and reshaping the Youth Olympic Games.
“We need to have very clear clarity on what we want the Games (YOG) to be, how we want them to be produced, and really look at reshaping them so they are fit for the future,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said during a video conference following the EB meeting.
“No decision has been made except for moving these three into Targeted Dialogue. We are aiming to elect a host for the 2030 Youth Olympic Games in June 2026,” she added.
The IOC said its YOG Working Group will continue evaluating the future potential and relevance of the Youth Olympic Games to benefit young athletes and the broader sports movement. This process will involve consultations with stakeholders, including International Federations (IFs), as part of the ongoing “Fit for the Future” review.
Coventry also noted that the EB has recommended the nomination of Iranian badminton player Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha—currently a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission—as a candidate for IOC membership, Xinhua reported.
The EB additionally proposed the re-election of 11 IOC members below the age limit, the extension of terms for two members, a change of status for one member, and the election of two honorary members at the 145th IOC Session scheduled in Milan, Italy, from January 31 to February 2, 2026.
“Soraya Aghaei will be nominated and put forward as an IOC member. We’re very excited about that,” Coventry said. “The Ethics Commission and the EB have proposed Ms. Patricia O’Brien to chair the IOC Ethics Commission for a four-year term. We have also proposed two new members to the Ethics Commission — Mr. Karl Stoss and Mr. Kim Won-Soo. We look forward to seeing that confirmed during the Session.”
