The Hindu : Sport / Generalia : Cabinet backs New Delhi's bid for 2014 Asian Games

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

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Sport - Generalia

Cabinet backs New Delhi's bid for 2014 Asian Games

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 28. With the Union Cabinet having cleared the decks for India's bid to host the 2014 Asian Games in Delhi, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is looking ahead, towards bidding for the Olympic Games.

"We are very happy that the Government has cleared the proposal," said the IOA Secretary-General, Randhir Singh on Tuesday, reacting to the clearance given for the 2014 Asiad bid.

"India should be in a better position to bid for the Olympics in case we have the Asian Games besides the Commonwealth Games in 2010," he added.

The bids will come up for approval sometime in September this year. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) had only last year changed its rules regarding the bidding process for the Asian Games. The bids used to be decided seven years ahead of the proposed games. Now, the stipulation is "not less than eight years".

India will benefit — if given the chance to host the Asian games — if the bid is decided this year since it can plan for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, keeping also in mind the requirements for the 2014 Asian Games.

"So far, Korea and Jordan have indicated their desire to bid for the 2014 Asian Games," said Randhir, who is also the Secretary-General of the OCA.

Strong chance

The next Asian Games would be held in Doha in 2006 while the 2010 Games would be held in Guangzhou, China. Going by the geographical distribution, if nothing else, India should stand a strong chance of getting the 2014 Games. Korea hosted the 2002 Games in Busan and with China getting the 2010 edition, the dice should be loaded against the Far East getting the games again so soon. Jordan will be untested territory, having had no experience of hosting major Asian championships even.

For India, if the games do come, it will be after 32 long years. Apart from India, no one in South Asia has ever hosted the Asiad. New Delhi was the host of the inaugural games in 1951 and then again in 1982.

That New Delhi would be on an unprecedented bidding spree was made clear shortly after it won the right to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The plans to bid for the 2014 Asian Games were revealed followed by the desire to bid for the Olympic Games. The IOA's plan to bid for the 2016 Olympic Games is with the Government.

With Beijing being the host for the 2008 Olympics, observers do not attach much significance to India's proposed bid for the 2016 Games, even if the Government eventually approves it. For, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rarely goes back to a continent within such a short span of time.

Moreover, the rest of the contenders among the 2012 bidders, after the host city is decided this July from among Paris, London, Moscow, New York and Madrid, should in all probability be bidding again for the 2016 Games. The question of Africa, a continent that has never hosted the Olympics, will keep coming up.

Logical target

Thus, 2020 could be a logical target for India. Then again, bidding cities do not succeed on the first attempt. It could be a long haul for India, though hosting two major games, the Commonwealth in 2010 and the Asian in 2014, if allotted, will go a long way in creating an impact within the Olympic family.

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