Will Guangzhou get 2010 Asian Games bid?
By Qiu Quanlin (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-04-14 22:54

A five-member Evaluation Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA),arrived in Guangzhou Wednesday to inspect the city's venues and preparations for the 2010 Asian Games bid.

Vinod Kumar Tiari (centre), a member of the Evaluation Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia, makes a point during the group's inspection tour around the Tianhe Sports Centre of Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province. [newsphoto]

During a three-day tour, the committee will inspect systems and facilities, including sports venues, airports, TV stations, a medical centre, 110 emergency systems and cultural sites,in an effort to evaluate the city's capacity to host the Games.

Under the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games Bid Committee's plan, the evaluation group will also visit other renowned traditional sites, including Beijing Road, a commercial street.

The committee, headed by Celso Dayrit, the OCA's vice-president, consists of seven members.

It sent five members to Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, after its stay from April 11-13 in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, according to the OCA.

Following the withdrawal of bids from the Republic of Korea and Jordan, the bidding is now up for grabs between Guangzhou and Kuala Lumpur.

City officials say they are confident to win the bid. According to a recent public survey, more than 90 per cent of local people know about the city's bid, and about 90 per cent of them support it.

In addition, the city has issued 50,000 Games posters to publicize its theme of "Co-operation, Competition and Development," and the slogan of "Invigorating Asia, Sparking the world."

The city has been soaked in the atmosphere of the Games bid with the posters and 173 neon light fixtures on display since the weekend on main streets and at subway stations.

The evaluation committee will submit its final report to the OCA Executive Board in its meeting on June 30. The board will study the report and forward its recommendation to the OCA General Assembly, according to Dayrit.

The election as to whether the city will be chosen as the site for the Games will be held during the 23rd OCA General Assembly in Doha in Qatar on July 1 of this year.

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