The Hindu : Sport : Asian Games: Chess and cricket approved

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 09, 2004

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Sport - Sports : General

Asian Games: Chess and cricket approved

By Our Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 8. Cricket and chess will make their debut in the Asian Games, in Doha in 2006. Also, women will be seen in action for the first time in cue sports, in the eight-ball pool and nine-ball pool singles events.

These additions will make the 2006 Doha Asian Games the biggest ever in terms of disciplines. There will be 40 sports disciplines and 411 events, as against 38 in the 2002 Busan Games.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sports Commission, at its General Assembly unanimously approved these proposals submitted by the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC), on July 1.

"We pitched in for cricket and chess and I am happy that both the sports disciplines have got the approval,'' said the OCA Secretary-General, Randhir Singh. He said India naturally had big stakes in cricket and chess and insisted that it will help in attracting the masses to the Games.

Cricket has been limited to six-team tournament while chess will have team championships in rapid, classical and blitz.

The format and qualification of teams for cricket will be decided by the DAGOC in consultation with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Mr. Randhir Singh said that all care would be taken to avoid the repeat of the unpleasant episode of the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games. India had sent a second team, though sprinkled with a few stars, to Kuala Lumpur while the main team flew out to Toronto for the India-Pakistan One-day series. Cricket was subsequently withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games.

On Thursday, Mr. Singh however, spoke about re-introducing cricket in the Commonwealth Games when New Delhi will host the quadrennial games in 2010.

"Cricket has a big following in India and we would like to cash in on,'' he said.

Though the Doha Games (December 1 to 15, 2006) are long way off, it is interesting to note that three Asian cricketing nations would be busy during that time. According to the ICC's 10-year programme, in December 2006, South Africa is hosting India, Pakistan in hosting the West Indies and Bangladesh travels to New Zealand, for Test series.

Cricket's association with Asian Games, however, may be short-lived. China has pruned the sports disciplines to 34 for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. At the OCA General Assembly in Doha where Guangzhou was officially granted the 2010 Games, the Chinese Province submitted the list of 34 disciplines, 28 Olympic sports, four regional sports and two of the OCA's choice.

Meanwhile, the OCA Executive Board has amended its constitution to advance the bidding process for the future Asian Games by two years. This would directly affect New Delhi's bid for the 2014 Asian Games. Instead of the bidding to continue till 2008, the OCA will vote for the host city sometime in 2006.

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