Incheon Chosen As Host City for 2014 Asian Games

Incheon was slightly ahead of other candidate cities on April 15 in its bid to host the 2014 Asian Games, was neck and neck with New Delhi, India the next day, and finally was selected to host the international sports event on April 17.

The race to host the 2014 Asian Games was a nail-biting drama.

The Incheon Asian Games Host Committee was confident that the city would host the event when it arrived at Kuwait City on April 14.

However, after Incheon’s and New Delhi’s committees started their efforts in earnest to host the games, things took a dramatic turn. The Indian committee successfully drew attention from Asian National Olympic Committees (NOCs) when it presented India’s beautiful landscape and unique culture to them. The Indians even offered each country’s NOC members a favor, saying, “If New Delhi is chosen as the host city, the city will pay the expenses for the athletes during their stay in the city.”

For its part, Korea’s port city promised sports supporting programs for countries with less athletic success, airfare, and accommodation expenses.

The head of the Incheon committee Shin Yong-seok said, “It’s true that New Delhi won the hearts of many members of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) at the last minute before the crucial voting thanks to the Indian government’s strong support. But OCA officials we met for the past two years seemed to have confidence that Incheon would be a better host city for the 2014 games.

Incheon’s successful bid for the 2014 Asian Games is all the more meaningful thanks to the Incheon committee’s series of sleepless nights to prepare for the bid, make plans for a better event, and present officials of OCA and NOC with its plans.

India had a competitive edge in Kuwait-

The Incheon Asian Games Host Committee was taken aback by New Delhi’s all-out effort. New Delhi had a competitive edge over Incheon in Kuwait; about 300,000 Indians are living in Kuwait, the Secretary General of OCA, Mr. Raja Randhir Singh, is Indian, and relatively more information was available for it since many officials of the OCA are Indians. Incheon made every effort to ensure its presentation materials, including information on sports facilities for the games, were not leaked.

Korean Asian Games medalists expressed confidence before the voting-

Korean Asian Games medalists joined Incheon’s efforts to host the 2014 games. They arrived in Kuwait on April 17. They chanted “Incheon” to gather support and flew Incheon’s flag in front of the Marriott Hotel where the OCA general assembly was being held.

Choi Yoon-hee, who won gold medals in the 100m and 200m women’s backstroke in the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games, said, “New Delhi is not one of the best venues for the international games to be held. In 1982, many athletes participated in the Asian Games had a difficult time because of the food.” Shim Gwon-ho, a wrestler who is also an Asian Games gold medalist, added, “It is desirable that the Games will be held where the weather conditions are favorable for athletes to perform well. Given that, Incheon is the best place.”

Another gold medalist and table tennis player, Hyun Jeong-hwa, said, “Watching the New Delhi Asian Game Host Committee shout ‘Go for New Delhi’ makes me feel that we should do more to help Incheon win the bid. With our efforts, I was sure Incheon would beat New Delhi.”

beetlez@donga.com