Delhi Loses Bid to Host 2014 Asian Games

Delhi may be gearing up for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, but has lost the bid to host the 2014 Asian Games.

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Here’s the story courtesy Rediffmail.com

April 17, 2007 19:07 IST

New Delhi’s bid to host the 2014 Asian Games came unstuck as the Olympic Council Asia awarded the multi-sport event to the South Korean city of Incheon on Tuesday.

The 45-member General Assembly of the OCA made the decision at its two-day meeting in Kuwait.

Delhi was bidding to bring back the continental mega event to Indian soil after a gap of 32 years, having last organised the same in 1982. The Indian capital was also the host for the inaugural edition of the sporting extravaganza, which is second only to the Olympics in terms of number of disciplines, in 1951.

Korea will be hosting the Games for a third time, Seoul and Busan having conducted it in 1986 and 2002 respectively.

Incheon seemed to have clinched the bid with its offer of US $20 million for training, equipment and other facilities for the participating nations.

In its bid presentation earlier in the day, the South Korean delegation had also emphasised on the high-tech facilities that will be available to the athletes.

Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi, while presenting Delhi’s bid, did not put a figure on the costs towards training, equipment and other facilities.

He, however, said that the IOA would cover the entire expenses of each competing nation and besides offer US $2 million for every one of them.