India, Korea fight over 2014 Games

Doha: Bidding for the 2014 Asian Games just got a bit more animated.

Indian and South Korean officials had a heated exchange on Saturday when pitching to the Olympic Council of Asia meetings in Doha, which coincided with first official day of the 15th Asian Games.

New Delhi and the South Korean city of Incheon are the two candidates for the 2014 edition. The winner will be announced at the OCA's next general assembly in April.

Suresh Kalmadi, heading the Indian bid, appealed to the OCA members to allow the Asian Games to return to its birthplace, New Delhi. The Indian capital staged the inaugural games in 1951 and again in 1982.

He appeared to rankle the Incheon officials when he highlighted the fact that another South Korean city, Busan, had hosted the 2002 Asian Games.

Kalmadi, a member of India's Parliament and President of the Indian Olympic Association, said the event should be staged on a rotational basis, with the 2014 edition going to the Indian subcontinent.

"South Korea hosted the 2002 Asian Games in Busan and now Doha has become the first city among Arab nations to stage the event," Kalmadi said. "Let the rotation continue and take the Asian Games to different regions of the continent."

Incheon's bid committee chief, Shin Yong-suk, reacted angrily to Kalmadi's comments, saying New Delhi had already hosted the Asian Games twice.

"Maybe my Indian friend should try and find a new venue, one city hosting the Asian Games three times will be too much," Shin said. "Isn't New Delhi also going to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010?"

South Korea's capital Seoul staged the Asian Games in 1986, two years before holding the Olympics.

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New Delhi made several futile attempts before winning the right to stage the Commonwealth Games in 2010. It also failed in a bid for the 2006 Asian Games, which have grown into the world's second largest gathering of athletes after the Olympic Games.

Guangzhou, in southwest China, is the venue for the 2010 Asian Games.

Thailand's capital Bangkok has hosted the regional event four times - in 1966, 1970, 1978 and 1998.

Seeking to sweeten its bid for the 2014 games, New Delhi offered free air tickets, board and lodging for all athletes and officials forming the national contingents for the event.

Kalmadi said that New Delhi's bid was financially secure, with the backing of the Government and a rapidly growing economy in the world's largest democracy.

"New Delhi's bid represents the desire of one billion Indians to host the Asian Games," Kalmadi said, asserting that just seven of the proposed 30 stadiums would need to be constructed after India hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

"Fifteen venues are already existing and are being renovated, while eight new stadiums are being built for the Commonwealth Games," said Kalmadi.

Shin said South Korea had shown its expertise and experience in staging several high-profile events.

"Incheon's a high-tech city that has grown into a regional economic hub," he said. "Comprehensive development will turn Incheon into a major regional city by 2014."

Shin said that Incheon needed to build 22 of the 37 venues, but it had the backing of the federal government and national parliament.