OCA Chief Looks Back on Guangzhou, Ahead to Incheon

(ATR) The president of the Olympic Council of Asia tells Around the Ringsthe Asian Games are "at an Olympic level" after Guangzhou 2010.

"I know it will become more difficult to maintain standards, to increase the benefits of the Games, to increase the participation in the Games," Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah told ATR, "but we are satisfied with what we are reaching now.

"We are at an Olympic level. Incheon [2014] should be able to do the same thing."

Ahmad credited the IOC for ensuring the growth of the Asiad doesn't outpace its ability to deliver a quality event.

"Even though we are growing like the Olympic Games, we are following IOC regulations, protocol, guidance," he said. "The reason we are a success is that we are following the guidance of the IOC."

Speaking Saturday at a press conference Saturday on the final day of competition, Ahmad praisedthe work of GAGOC, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Chinese government at national, provincial and municipal levels.

"The city of Guangzhou has done a very great job for the Asian Olympic movement and the Asian Olympic family," he added.

Statistically, the Guangzhou Asiad is the biggest in history, and the OCA president highlighted some lofty figures as proof.

Almost 10,000 athletes competed, almost 5,000 team officials and more than 4,000 technical officials ensured the Games ran smoothly, two million tickets were sold and nearly 10,000 media professionals reported the event to a global audience.

But it was a much smaller number that gave Sheikh Ahmad a huge amount of satisfaction. There were only two positive drug tests in Guangzhou compared with 16 in Doha four years ago, a differential he said proves the OCA’s work with the World Anti-Doping Agency is reaping rewards.

Ahmad also delighted that the diplomatic problems between North and South Korea that resurfaced during the Games period did not have a negative impact on the sport.

"I was very sorry about what happened between the two Koreas," he said, "but here we are all sport people.

"In the follow up to the incident, athletes from both countries have participated together without any problems."

Onward to Incheon

As one Games closes, a new one takes on the flag and prepares to host the next event.

"Our target is always to make the next Games better," Ahmad explained. "That is our job, to develop the Games.

"Each Games has its own conditions. Doha was held in a small country and it was a big challenge to reach an international level. They successfully reached and achieved their goals.

"Here in Guangzhou was something different. It is the third city of China. The Guangzhou Organizing Committee was looking to challenge the Beijing Olympic Games and they successfully did that.

"Some OCA officials told me the opening ceremony may be better than the Beijing Olympics. "The [athletes’] village and facilities are better than Beijing.

"The 53 venues show a level of an Olympic Games. Each Games has a different end, and Guangzhou has made a great success.

"Now we have the 17th Asian Games in Incheon. It will again be a different Games, but we will work with them for success."

Among the most noticeable differences in Incheon will be a streamlined sports program approvedearlier this month by the OCA.

"The number of sports was starting to grow very rapidly," Ahmad told ATR."For that we have to be very careful."

The 35-sport cap means Guangzhou 2010 set a record for size that will not be repeated. Of that number, 28 are Olympic sports with seven others to be chosen by organizers.

Cricket, karate and baseball will be three of the seven, Ahmad confirmed, and softball could be the fourth.

"We will leave this up to the Incheon organizing committee," he said. "Even if they want to count baseball and softball as one sport, we can look at that as a solution."

Ahmad suggested some of the sports cut from the Asian Games belong elsewhere to begin with.

"We have to divide our sports," he said. "We have indoor games, beach games, martial arts games, we have other areas where we can place those sports.

"We are not closing the door for any sport. If we have eight or ten NOCs that support a sport we should give them a chance to participate in any of our Games.

"This will be better for the hosts, the administration, the NOCs."

The Legacy of Guangzhou

As he prepares to leave Guangzhou, the OCA president is confident that the legacy of the Games will have a positive impact on the city.

"I think now everybody knows Guangzhou," he said. "I was here seven years ago and I can see the new infrastructure, the subway, the airport, the new city, health care, accommodation, transport. It all means Guangzhou can achieve its target of being a hub of this region.

"I have also seen a change in the environment. It is more green.

"The Games have also allowed Guangzhou citizens to know and understand different cultures. All of this adds value for the city."

He also expects that the Games will create a sporting legacy that will see local Guangzhou athletes compete in future Olympic events.

ATR coverage of the Guangzhou Asian Games

is Proudly Presented by PyeongChang 2018

With reporting from Matt Horn in Guangzhou.

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