Delegates met in Nagoya on Sunday for the Asian Sailing Federation's assembly. They elected Mohamed Alobaidli as West Asia vice-president. He also presented the UAE's plan for developing sailing across Asia.
China's Bi Kun won the men's windsurfing final at the Asian Games, ahead of South Korea's Lee Tae-hoon and Thailand's William Macmillan.
A development plan focused on participation
Alobaidli's proposed plan starts at grassroots level. Its priorities include finding and developing talent, widening participation and supporting development programmes. Asian Sailing Federation materials also call for higher technical standards. The stated aim is to strengthen Asian sailing's presence at international events.
The sailing competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya has also opened the route to LA28: World Sailing reported that the first Olympic places were awarded following results on October 2, 2026.
Leadership and the work ahead
The assembly was held in Nagoya alongside the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Vinod Kumar Tiwari, deputy director general of the Olympic Council of Asia, and Beatriz González Luna, vice-president of World Sailing, attended. The federation has framed its next phase of work around raising the sport's level and competitiveness across the continent.
Alobaidli's proposal has a different scope from local event listings such as Dubai's October sports calendar. It focuses on participation pathways and technical development across Asia, not an event schedule.
The vote gives Alobaidli a regional vice-presidency and keeps him in charge of development. Those roles match the priorities he presented. The strategy's value will depend on turning its focus on grassroots access and talent into sustained development. For now, the UAE has put those priorities directly on the federation's agenda.
