Hangzhou 2022 has new dates ©Getty Images

New dates of September 23 to October 8 next year have been set for the postponed Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The multi-sport event had been due to take place between September 10 and 25 this year, but was delayed in response to Chinese COVID-19 restrictions.

An Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) taskforce held discussions with the Chinese Olympic Committee, Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee and other stakeholders before proposing these new dates, which have been approved by the OCA Executive Board.

This year's OCA General Assembly due to take place in Hangzhou was moved to Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh and is set for October 4.

Hangzhou 2022 is set to be China's third staging of the Asian Games, following Beijing 1990 and Guangzhou 2010.

China says all Hangzhou 2022 venues are ready to stage the Asian Games ©Getty Images
China says all Hangzhou 2022 venues are ready to stage the Asian Games ©Getty Images

It is among a number of sporting events in the country to be either cancelled or delayed because of the COVID-19 crisis. 

Two postponements have seen the Chengdu 2021 Summer World University Games moved to 2023, while the Asian Beach Games in Sanya are also now scheduled to be held in 2023.

The Asian Youth Games in Shantou were cancelled altogether, while China pulled out of hosting next year's Asian Cup in men's football.

It did stage the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games earlier this year, inside a "closed-loop management system" which kept all participants away from the Chinese public.