Saudi Committee Names 11 Podium Sports for 2034

The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee has adopted a new elite-performance strategy on the road to Riyadh 2034, announced in early September 2026. The plan narrows the Kingdom's Olympic and Paralympic focus to 11 "podium sports" identified as offering the clearest path to medals.

The priority disciplines are athletics, judo, taekwondo, karate, jiu-jitsu, swimming, weightlifting, shooting, equestrian, fencing and wrestling. These will receive concentrated funding, technical support, talent development and structured preparation for international competition through to 2034.

The selection was based on performance data and structured criteria, including historical medal records and international results, athlete performance scorecards, the number of events and categories, medal distribution patterns, and the size of the active athlete pool and participation rates.

A multi-year pathway

The strategy is framed as a multi-year plan running roughly from 2025 to 2031, moving through three stages: early discovery and development of youth, systematic nurturing of promising talents, and an elite phase targeting podium results at major events such as the Asian Games, the Olympics and the Paralympics.

To back the focus sports, the Committee has signed several cooperation agreements with private-sector entities in Saudi Arabia, with particular emphasis on combat sports like judo, karate, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and taekwondo. The agreements cover specialized training centers and clubs, international-level coaching staff, and wider access for youth and amateur athletes to structured programs.

On the Paralympic side, the Committee has established independent federations for key disciplines — including Paralympic swimming and athletics, boccia, and wheelchair and sitting sports — while placing others under existing national federations. Medal targets have been set for upcoming Asian Paralympic events, aiming to surpass previous counts.

The strategy aligns with the Kingdom's broader national sports strategy and the new Sports Law due to take effect in mid-2026, signalling a more organised and results-driven approach to building homegrown champions.

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