Delegates were shown by the scale of expansion of the quadrennial multi-sport event in recent editions in the report of the OCA Sports Committee, with a total of 19,807 athletes from 43 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) already registered for next year's re-arranged Games in Hangzhou. 

There is due to be a total of 482 medal events in 40 sports representing 61 disciplines. 

In contrast, at the Olympics in Tokyo last year, a total of 11,420 athletes took part in 339 medal events in 33 sports made up of 50 disciplines.

The OCA Sports Committee proposed the conversion of some of the articles relating to the Asian Games in the Constitution to bylaws, which was in turn evaluated by the governing body's Rules Committee.

NOCs approved this proposal by acclamation, providing a greater power to the OCA Executive Board to streamline the Asian Games.

Details for the introduction of a qualification process for the Asian Games are also "under discussion", and there are plans to bring the sports programme more closely into line with that of the Olympic Games.

Song Luzeng, chair of the OCA Sports Committee, explained that the changes were aimed at enabling "us to be more flexible and to control the number of participating athletes and officials".

"As we know, the scale of the Asian Games has grown so big that not many NOCs or cities in Asia would be able to host it in the future," the Chinese official told the Assembly.

"It's time for the OCA to think of ways and take effective measures to control the scale of the Asian Games to improve the quality of competitions and increase the market value of the Games."

Rules Committee acting chair Fumio Ogura claimed the changes to the Asian Games would align the OCA with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"Their [the Sports Committee's] recommendation is exactly in line with the evolution and development of future Olympic Movement and sports movement," the Japanese official said.

"At the same time, I would like to underline that the IOC is doing completely the same thing regarding the Olympic Games in the Olympic Charter.

"That means, our activities are in line with the IOC."

Article 57 of the OCA Constitution provides for "no limitations" on the participation of NOCs in general, although the organisation may introduce some restrictions to assist with the feasibility of the Games.

The Sports Committee has also proposed that a qualification system is introduced for the Asian Games, with a particular emphasis on the team sports.

Song said that "the details are under discussion and will be worked out later".

The OCA Sports Committee has also proposed refining the sports programme to focus primarily on Olympic sports.

The programme for Hangzhou 2022 includes 40 sports, including non-Olympic discplines such as cricket, dragon boat racing, kabbadi, Ju-jitsu, kurash, mind sports, Sepak takraw, squash and wushu. 

Under its suggestion, the Organising Committee could propose additional sports for approval by the OCA Executive Board, or a traditionally strong sport from each of the OCA's five regions could be added.

"This is a very important issue," Song said.

"We must think of ways to solve the current problems."

The OCA's flagship multi-sport event is the only continental Games usually held two years prior to the Olympic Games rather than one, although Hangzhou 2022 has been pushed backed until 2023 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Sports Committee ruled that the Asian Games should continue to take place in even-numbered years due to high broadcasting and viewership statistics and a lack of a clash with other major events.