Asian Games: Guangzhou Takes The Lead, As India Grapples With CWG Glitches

Guangzhou, China (AHN) - The government in New Delhi might be struggling to meet construction deadlines for the Commonwealth Games, scheduled in October this year, but the Chinese city of Guangzhou, which will host the quadrennial Asian Games a month later, has announced its venues are ready to welcome athletes and officials from across the continent.

Guangzhou will host the 16th edition of the Asian Games from November 12-27, which will make it the second city in the country to host a major sporting spectacle in two years. Beijing had hosted the Olympic Games in 2008 and also organized the Asiad in 1990.
A Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee official not wishing to be quoted said more than 14,000 sportspersons, coaches and trainers from 45 countries would be in the city to compete in 476 events in 42 disciplines.
"All 53 competition venues and 17 training venues available for the Games are ready. These include the Asian Games Town, which consists of the Athletes' Village, Technical Officials Village, Media Village, Main Media Center and International Broadcast Center," the official was quoted as saying.
In stark contrast, only two Commonwealth Games venues in Delhi --- the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which will also host the opening and closing ceremonies, and the RK Khanna Tennis Stadium --- are said to have become fully operational. Other venues, are still struggling to meet completion deadlines.
Guangzhou has also successfully hosted a number of test events, titled 'Vigorous Guangzhou', while a majority of test events in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games have fallen flat because of glitches on all fronts.
Guangzhou will also organize the Asian Para Games from December 12-19, where more than 3,000 differentially-abled athletes from 41 Asian countries will compete in 19 disciplines.