The Asian Paralympic Committee (AsPC) announced that Uzbek para-athlete Asli Mirzayorova is one of ten candidates for election to the Athletes' Committee, which will be elected as part of the AsPC Executive Council for the period from 2026 to 2030.
Alongside the representative from Uzbekistan, other athletes are competing for spots on the Athletes' Committee: Salama Al-Hatheri from the UAE (para-cycling), Zeynaluddin Al-Madhuri from Iraq (wheelchair fencing), Mari Amimoto from Japan (wheelchair basketball), Siyavush Ilyasov from Tajikistan (para-cycling), Sareh Javandardi from Iran (para-shooting), Abdelkarim Hattab from Jordan (weightlifting), Yumin Won from South Korea (wheelchair rugby and cross-country), Yu Cuiyi from Hong Kong, China (wheelchair fencing), and Zhao Shuai from China (table tennis).
The elections will take place during the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, 2026, which will be held from October 18 to 23. All accredited participants of the Games will be able to vote until October 23, and the election results will be announced on October 24.
The voting will be conducted through an online platform, access to which will be provided via QR codes placed in designated areas.
President of the Asian Paralympic Committee, Majid Rashed, emphasized the significance of the Athletes' Committee in ensuring athletes' participation in APC decision-making processes. According to him, the opinions, experience, and views of athletes must be taken into account when determining the future of para-sports in Asia.
To participate in the elections, candidates had to be active athletes who have previously competed in the Asian Para Games or plan to participate in the Nagoya 2026 Games.
The Athletes' Committee consists of five members elected by athletes participating in the Summer Asian Para Games. After being elected, these five individuals will choose a chairman who will replace the current head of the Athletes' Committee, Hisakuki Misaku from Japan.
Misaku noted that one of his main tasks was ensuring the successful staging of the Nagoya 2026 Games and guaranteeing that athletes' voices would be heard. He also stressed the importance of representation in the new composition of the Athletes' Committee of people with diverse experiences, from different countries, and with different physical abilities and sports disciplines.
In addition to the five elected members, two more people may be included in the committee upon agreement with the APC Executive Council, which should promote broader representation of the diversity of the Paralympic movement in Asia.
