India''s bid for 2019 Asian Games still on: Randhir Singh

Thu, Nov 11 10 02:37 PM

S S Ramaswamy Guangzhou, Nov 11 (PTI) Contrary to what has been depicted, India''s bid for the 2019 Asian Games was still on and the Indian Olympic Association was in the process of sending a bid document to the Olympic Council of Asia in time to meet the February, 2011 deadline, IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh said here today. Talking to reporters after attending India''s flag-hoisting ceremony at the Games Village, Randhir said that already the government had the blue print of the bid submitted to it for the 2014 Games that ultimately went to South Korean city of Incheon and only the escalation of the costs needed to be penciled in. Randhir, who is also the secretary-general of OCA, said the 2019 Games hosts would be decided in July next year in Tokyo by the OCA''s General Assembly which meets here tomorrow and on November 13 to decide on the host cities for the next Asian Indoor Games and Asian Beach Games. "The 2014 bid details are with the government. It has already been cleared by the cabinet and does not need any more approval. All that is needed is to factor in the escalation of cost from 2014 to 2019 which can be done by the government''s financial authorities better than us," said Randhir. The government authorities have asked for the detailed bid documents from the IOA to study them after last month''s Delhi Commonwealth Games was marred by cost over-runs, corruption charges and delayed and filthy construction of the Games Village. Randhir said he has already secured details about the cost that Guangzhou has incurred in hosting the Asian Games here which will to start tomorrow with the Opening Ceremony. "I would be getting the document from the Guangzhou organisers and would be sending them across to the government. The organisers here are expected to rake in USD 450 million after spending USD 420 million. I am only talking about hosting of the Games and not other infrastructure development," he said. According to Randhir, most of the infrastructure if India''s bid is successful for the 2019 Games is already there in Delhi and only two new stadiums needed to be added to the list that were used during the Commonwealth Games. "We already have a modern airport and the metro is also there which are two of the essential things to host the Games. We need to build only two new stadiums," he said. Randhir also said that the OCA has already decided to cut down on the number of events from 42 in the current Games to 35 from the 2014 Games. "We have nine years to prepare for the Games (if India get to host them)," he added.

Source: Published>