SA Beach Games in Hambantota

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from China

Sri Lanka will host the first ever South Asian Beach Games in Hambantota next year, President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Sri Lanka Hemasiri Fernando said today.

Addressing a media conference at the Main Press Centre (MPC) here this morning, Fernando said all South Asian nations have given their concent for Sri Lanka's eleventh hour bid to host the inaugural South Asian Beach Games in the Southern Sri Lanka.

"The South Asian nations have been discussing to have this type of Beach Games for nearly five years. In fact, Maldives and Bangladesh have put forward their bids to host the first ever Games. However, we wanted to prove a point before we present our host bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and all South Asian national NOCs gave their consent our last minute bid," a happy Fernando disclosed.

Successful

Fernando said Sri Lanka will try to host the Asian Beach Games in a highly successful manner and prove its organizational skills before the deadline to present the formal bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in May next year. "Hambantota will be hosting the World Cup cricket and then the South Asian Beach Games. That would add more weight to Hambantota's bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games," he said.

Sri Lanka NOC chief said he has already informed President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the opportunity Sri Lanka has got to host the South Asian Beach Games and that the President has extended his fullest support. "Minister Dilan Perera has already been named the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the South Asian Beach Games. Once we return home, we will get in to quick action as there is about five months left. We must host the Beach Games before we present Hambantota's bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games," he pointed out.

The former Sri Lanka marksman turned Olympic official said they have still not identified the sports that would be included. "It is too early to predict those but within the coming weeks, we would wit and finalise all those. We plan to have sports such as beach netball, volleyball and basketball in which Sri Lanka has an advantage," he said.

Preparations

Sri Lanka will also keenly study the preparations for the Haiyang 2012 Asian Beach Games. The Asian Beach Games, together the Asian Games, Asian Winter Games, Asian Indoor Games and Asian Youth Games are regarded as the top five multi-sports events in Asia.

The 3rd Asian Beach Games to be held in Haiyang, Shandong Province here in Chine in June next year. Sri Lanka could look for expertise and guidance from China for the South Asian Beach Games which will be a beach sports event of relatively smaller scale and greatest influence in South Asia. It is the first time that South Asia is hosting its own Beach Games after two Asian Beach Games.

Asian Olympic chief at Athletes Village

Meanwhile, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President reached out to the athletes of the 16th Asian Games by visiting Asian Games Village yesterday to receive first-hand feedback of the Guangzhou experience. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah was greeted at the Athletes' Village by Asian Games Town Mayor Kong Shaoqiong and given a guided tour of the shops and services available for the athletes and team officials.

The Asian Olympic chief called in at the hair salon - but no time for a trim - the supermarket, post office, Mayor's Office and finally the main dining hall, where he collected his tray and chose his food from the many cuisines on offer before sitting down to have his lunch with the athletes.

Ahmad said he was "very happy when I saw the smiles on the faces of the athletes and officials." He added:

"The operation of the Athletes' Village is very good and I think they are trying to make all the athletes fulfill their goals,"

Handball

"I met athletes from 20 National Olympic Committees, from different sports such as handball and gymnastics, male and female athletes, and they were very satisfied- and athletes usually tell you the truth."

The Guangzhou 2010 Games are raising the bar of the quadrennial Asian Games and helping Asian countries and regions fare better in qualifying for the 2012 Olympics in London, a senior official of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said.

The quality of excellence both on and off the field at the 16th Asian Games has already surpassed that of Doha 2006, and this will benefit the Asian sporting community as well as the host city, said Husain Al-Musallam, Director General of the OCA. "All of the events have been fantastic, including the setup and the venues," said Al-Musallam.

Challenge

"It will be a challenge to the city that follows the games must keep growing and getting better." He said the Games are crucial for uniting the Asian community, giving countries and regions a chance to flash their credentials on an international stage and build friendships on the sidelines.

"This is important given Asia's status as the world's largest and most populous continent, filled with different cultures, politics and religions that require deeper understanding to avoid tension and conflict," he said.

"They can compete as friends, live together in the Athletes' Village and speak and listen to one another through the language of sport," Al-Musallam said, adding this "will benefit the future development of the continent, and will give their children a better future".

Infrastructure

In addition, Guangzhou residents are set to benefit from improved roads, sports facilities and other infrastructure development projects that have been worked on to make the city games-ready. As the increased exposure draws more foreign investment and tourists to the city, its resident will continue to reap the benefits, he said.

"Guangzhou will become a famous tourist destination," he said. "The Games always have a positive impact on the organising city."

In contrast to the London 2012 Olympics, which has been downsizing the scale of its events in recent years, Al-Musallam said the Asiad will maintain its size or grow to reflect the various interests of participating nations.

"It is the duty of the OCA to promote and respect all of these cultures," he said, adding the inclusion of non-Olympic sports such as wushu and cricket has helped spread their appeal to regions of the world that never played them before.

Favourites

Sri Lanka will be one of the favourites to win the Asian Games cricket gold medal. Both men's and women's cricket have been included in the Games proper for the first time in its 59-year-old history. -

GUANGZHOU, Tuesda