Vietnam Counts Down to Asian Beach Games

(ATR) Final preparations are ongoing along a seven kilometer stretch of beaches in Da Nang as the 5th Asian Beach Games open in Vietnam in one week.

Organizers are expecting nearly 3,000 athletes representing all 45 National Olympic Committees comprising the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The popular beach, sea and sport event in the Vietnam coastal city runs from September 24 to October 3.

"The OCA is very happy that the Games will be held in Da Nang City, not in the capital Hanoi or the second largest city Ho Chi Minh, to go along with the concept of the Asian Beach Games to develop smaller cities to be ready for tourism through sports with less cost," said Captain Husain Al-Mussalam, OCA director general and technical director.

"Da Nang City and the citizens of Da Nang did their best for the preparation for the Asian Beach Games," Al-Mussalam tells Around the Rings. "The look of Da Nang is good and the most important issue for OCA is the look of Da Nang City after the Games."

A cultural spectacle of Vietnamese music and dance is planned to run alongside the 14 sports, 22 disciplines and 172 events at four venue clusters along the city’s sweeping bay.

Despite Vietnam having very limited experience hosting multi-sport events, the Kuwaiti sports leader said "everything is going in the right way." His only worries are weather and visas being issued on time.

"The visa system wasn’t done according to the Games requirement – normally the AD [credential] serves as the entry visa so we are worried that some participants may not be able to receive their visa on time," Al-Mussalam said.

Team welcome ceremonies are scheduled for September 22-23.

"Unpredictable weather could be an issue," Al-Mussalam added.

Popular events returning from the previous Asian Beach Games in Phuket, Thailand include athletics, Muay Thai, Jujitsu, beach sepaktakraw, 3x3 basketball and woodball. American flag football was dropped from the program, partly due to the host nation not entering a team.

Al-Mussalam said that Jujitsu and the team sports will be the highlights of the Games.

Vietnam Television will broadcast the Asian Beach Games on VTV6 and VTV8. There will be live broadcasts of the opening ceremony, closing ceremony, beach volleyball, beach soccer, beach handball and beach sepaktakraw.

VTV will also produce a five-minute daily highlights program and 26 minutes of daily summary. Total broadcast time will be 168 hours.

Media accreditation totals 377, including reporters, photographers, rights-holding broadcasters and host broadcaster staff.

Fifteen-hundred volunteers have been recruited to help the Games run smoothly.

Ten Candidates for New OCA Headquarters

The OCA is expected to determine its new headquarters when the 35th OCA General Assembly convenes on September 25 at the Royal Lotus Convention Center.

The current political stand-off between the Kuwaiti NOC and government leaders – resulting in Kuwait’s suspension by the IOC – is forcing the OCA to relocate from its home in Kuwait City, which opened in March 2014.

"It will be a decision for the best way that OCA can operate and give services to the NOCs and Games organizers," an OCA spokesperson tells ATR.

"Asia is the largest continent in the world with seven hours time zone difference from the east to the west – Asia has five zones and the decision will be based on the experience and challenges of OCA since 1913.

"We have 10 good offers from all the five zones," he added. For administrative purposes, the OCA is divided into five zones: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, South East Asia and West Asia.

San Diego World Beach Games Organizers to Observe

Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) chief Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah announced last month that the inaugural World Beach Games, originally scheduled for San Diego in 2017, would be pushed back two years.

Al-Mussalam confirmed to ATR that San Diego organizers and ANOC leadership will have a presence in Vietnam and OCA will welcome them and help as needed.

"San Diego delegates and ANOC will be in Da Nang – we offer them all they need to know about the operation of beach games and how to operate with minimum costs, as well leaving a good legacy after the games," Al-Mussalam said.

Around the Rings understands that the World Beach Games were primarily delayed because NOCs need more time to organize sincethe sports program is made up of non-Olympic disciplines.

Written by Brian Pinelli