SINGAPORE (AFP) - Sri Lanka has lost the right to host the 2017 Asian Youth Games because of political interference from the government, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has said.

The multi-sport event, set to be held in the southern town of Hambantota, was withdrawn "due to problems with the autonomy of the National Olympic Committee from the government", an OCA statement said.

The statement gave no further details about what the government interference might have involved.

The event will instead be offered to Jakarta as a test event for the 2018 Asian Games, with a final decision on the new location due at the OCA general assembly in September.