April 17, 2007
2014 Asian Games Bid:
Initial Joy in Indian Camp By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
Kuwait City
There was initial joy in the Indian camp Tuesday as New Delhi won
the right to make its presentation after South Korea's Incheon city
as the two locked horns for the right to hold the 2014 Asian Games.
The winner will be picked in a secret ballot in the afternoon.
This signaled a distinct advantage for New Delhi as it can now alter
its crucial monetary or other offers after knowing what the rival
has offered.
Veteran actor Kabir Bedi has been roped in to make New Delhi's
presentation.
Indian officials, including Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
president Suresh Kalmadi, for whom it is a prestigious bid, were
seen smiling for the first time in two days after the Olympic
Council of Asia (OCA) announced in the jam-packed Al Jahra hall of
Marriott Hotel here that Incheon would make its presentation first.
Chants of "New Delhi, New Delhi" by students of a local Indian
school reverberated as the day's proceedings began.
A total of 45 countries will vote in a secret ballot to choose the
winner.
Indian delegates, led by Kalmadi and comprising some of the
country's top athletes, industrialists and actors, turned up in
their best dresses as the Indian camp exuded confidence after
Monday's nervous looks.
A posse of IOA's officials, dressed in navy blue blazer and tie,
industrialist Rahul Bajaj, social activist Nafisa Ali, Minister of
State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury, long jumper
Anju Bobby George, shooter Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore, hockey
Olympian Aslam Sher Khan and Haryana Tourism Minister Kiran
Chowdhary were among those present.
IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh, who was elected OCA
secretary-general for the fifth time at the OCA general congress
Monday, has worked quietly behind the scenes to canvass for New
Delhi's bid. Indian Ambassador to Kuwait M. Ganapathi has also been
working tirelessly.
South Asian countries, particularly Pakistan, have already thrown
their weight behind New Delhi's bid. Pakistan Olympic Association
president Syed Arif Hasan has said, "there is no reason to believe
that Pakistan will not support Delhi".
While New Delhi has hosted the 1951 and 1982 Asian Games, Incheon,
the third largest city in South Korea, has not hosted any. But the
games have been held in Seoul and Busan.
Boloji.com is owned and managed by Boloji Media Inc Privacy Policy |
Disclaimer
No part of this Internet site may
be reproduced without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
