The OCA has enforced a no protest rule for athletes at Hangzhou 2022 ©Getty Images

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has reminded National Olympic Committees of the strict no protest rule that will be in place at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, which are due to start this week.

The Games are set to start on Saturday (September 23) and last until October 8, following a postponement last year due to COVID-19, and has a ban of "any protests or statement posters" by athletes.

OCA's acting director general Vinod Kumar Tiwari warned that any athletes who fail to comply with the rule would be removed from the Games.

"We will not allow any protest, religious or political," Tiwari said at a Chefs de Mission meeting held at the newly opened Asian Games Village.

"Please ensure that your athletes are aware of this.

"If there is any form of protest we will withdraw the accreditation."

OCA acting director general Vinod Kumar Tiwari informed Chefs de Mission of the rule at the newly opened Asian Games Village ©Getty Images
OCA acting director general Vinod Kumar Tiwari informed Chefs de Mission of the rule at the newly opened Asian Games Village ©Getty Images

The message followed a notice at a previous meeting that updated teams on restricted items.

These include banners and slogans that promote political, racial, religious, or commercial content and violate the OCA's constitution and rules or Chinese law.

The governing body made sure to confirm that religious items for personal use are still permitted, however. 

The restrictions apply especially to medal ceremonies when athletes are allowed to display the flag of their country or region, but no other props are allowed.

The rule is especially targeting medal ceremonies where athletes will only be allowed to display their country's flag ©Getty Images
The rule is especially targeting medal ceremonies where athletes will only be allowed to display their country's flag ©Getty Images

Athletes from the Games' host nation China have been instructed to "raise their political awareness".

The country is set to be represented by 886 competitors and are expected to top the medals table by team officials. 

In addition to the sporting "requirements", athletes have been reminded to "bring glory to the country, and fully demonstrate the immense power of China's modern sports practice," said Director of the National Sports Bureau Gao Zhidan, as reported by the country's official state news agency Xinhua.

Team members have also been told to remember the "greater cause of the nation" and "present a positive image of China's reform, development and social progress to Asia and the international community."

"Be good hosts, conduct extensive friendly exchanges and demonstrate our country's good image of reform and opening up, economic development, and social progress to Asian and international communities," Gao said.