International Games News

November 1998

Asian Games Preview

The Asian Games, hyped by organizers as the "last major international sporting event of the millennium, (ignoring the equally large African Games and World University Games in 1999) are just about ready to take off in Bangkok Thailand.

In 1990 the Olympic Council of Asia awarded the thirteenth edition of the Asian Games to Thailand, but several times since then, most seriously in January of 1995 and August of 1997 there had been worries that preparations for the games were behind schedule and the event would have to be moved to another city. Each time the organizers were able to convince the OCA that everything would be ready in time for the games. Ironically Bangkok, which first hosted the Asian Games in 1966, has served as the "rescuer" of the games twice since then, in 1970 when Korea was to host the games, and in 1978 after Islamabad, Pakistan backed out.

The Asian economic crisis has caused difficulties with the games budget. Revenues from ticket sales are only 25 percent of what was expected three weeks before the games, and the Thai government has had to appropriate extra funds for the games from the state run lottery, but the games are scheduled to open on December 6th. Two nations, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia have withdrawn from the games. Afghanistan withdrew citing financial problems. The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan expressed anger at the Thai hosts for not paying all of the costs for room and board for the athletes at the games. Saudi Arabia pulled out of the games at the last minute citing the need to prepare for Saudi Arabia's centenary celebrations and the fact that Ramadan begins this year on December 20th, the last day of the games. North Korea has had to trim it's team in half citing financial reasons as well.

Ironically, in the midst of the Asian crisis, many countries are offering monetary rewards for medals won at the games. The prizes range from 4000 yuan ($480 US) for a gold medal for a Chinese athlete to 250,000 Singapore dollars ($154,000 US) if any athlete from Singapore strikes gold, with lesser amounts for silver and bronze medals. Kuwait will give a new car to each gold medal winner. Other gold medal performances will bring prizes of $64,000US (500,000 Hong Kong dollars) for a gold for Hong Kong, $21,000 for a gold for Malaysia (80,000 ringgit) and 2,300US for a South Korean victory (3 million won).

Bid News

Five cities have declared their intentions to bid for the 2006 Asian Games. Damascus Syria; Doha, Qatar; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; New Delhi, India; and Tashkent; Uzbekistan.

In terms of experience Damascus has hosted the Arab Games of 1976 and 1992. Doha Qatar made waves earlier this year on the international track and field scene by allowing women to run and to spectate at an international meet for the first time. Doha is hosting the Special Olympics Gulf Games this month. Kuala Lumpur hosted the Commonwealth Games in September of this year, has hosted the South East Asian Games on four occasions (1965, 1971, 1975 and 1989), and the 1996 Asia Pacific Games for the Deaf. New Delhi hosted the very first Asian Games in 1951 and the ninth Asian Games in 1982, along with the South Asian Federation Games of 1987 and 1995. Tashkent served as the host of the first Central Asian Games in 1995.

The host for the 2006 Asian Games will be chosen at the Olympic Council of Asia meetings in the end of the year 2000.

New Events

The "Gravity Games" NBC's version of the extreme sports is to be inaugurated next year. The games will include bicycle racing events, inline skating, skateboarding and street luge. NBC has not announced where the games will be held.

IOC Backs new Olympic Training Facilities for Africa

The IOC's Olympic Solidarity program, designed to give development support to nations of lesser means has announced plans to open three training centers in Africa. The Kip Keino Children's Home in Eldoret Kenya has been chosen as a center to develop distance runners from throughout Africa, and was opened in the fall of 1998. A swimming training center in Cairo and a sports center in South Africa are planned for the near future.

Japanese Fan Wins Traffic Lawsuit.

A Japanese Ski Jumping fan sued the Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee because snarled traffic at the games was so bad that the bus he was riding to the Ski Jump venue arrived after the competition was over. The NAOC had already refunded the man the cost of his event ticket and bus fare. The 3560 yen award (about $30.00 US) by the court was to compensate the fan for the price of his train ticket to Nagano, and for the "mental anguish" caused by the fan missing the event.

NAOC officials have said they will appeal the decision stating that they are concerned that several hundred other fans that had the same type of transportation difficulties may try to sue as well. An NAOC spokesman said the ruling could affect other Olympics and International Games in the future.

The NAOC made a profit of 36.87 million dollars at the games, ninety percent of which will be given to the Nagano prefecture for the development of future Olympic sport. Refunding the ticket amounts to those fans that missed events it seems would not be unfair or put an unreasonable burden on the NAOC.

World Championship News

The IAAF awarded the 2001 Outdoor World Track and Field Championships to Edmonton, Canada over a bids from San Francisco, Paris and New Delhi.

Italy won it's third Men's World Volleyball Championship this month in Tokyo. Yugoslavia won the Silver, Cuba beat out Brazil for the bronze medal.

Games Next Month

Asian Games Bangkok Thailand December 6-20