2014 Incheon Asian Games will not compete with the big spending Guangzhou Asiad in terms of big budget but deliver an "economical and effective" multi-sporting event, its organising committee chief said today.
Kim Youngsoo, the president of Incheon Asian Games Organising Committee, said he hoped the 17th edition of the continental sporting extravaganza to be held from September 19 to October 4, could help in fulfilling the aspirations of small countries and cities to host the Asiad.
"With the previous experience of Sochi (2014 Winter Olympics), Beijing (2008 Summer Olympics) and Guangzhou (2012 Asian Games) where there were lots of materialism and nationalism on show, because of these, there is a thinking that you need a big budget to host these Games," Kim, a former minister in the Korean government said.
"We are looking at an economical and effective Games to also give hope to other small countries that they can also aspire to host these Games," he said at a press conference during the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Roadshow here.
2014 Sochi was the costliest ever Winter Olympics while 2008 Beijing and 2010 Guangzhou were the highest-spending Summer Olympic Games and Asian Games respectively.
Kim handed the certificates of appointment to Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and star archer Deepika Kumari as Incheon Asian Games Goodwill Ambassadors during the function which was also attended by Indian Olympic Association President N Ramachandran and Olympic Council of Asia Secretary General Randhir Singh. Sports Minister Jitendra Singh was invited but could not attend the function. Sports Secretary Ajit Sharan and top officials of the Sports Authority of India were also present.
Ramachandran thanked the Incheon organisers and the OCA for choosing New Delhi as the sixth and last venue of the Asian Games Roadshow. The event was to be held last year but had to be deferred as the IOA was under suspension then.
"We are privileged to host the roadshow here in Delhi and we are also going to host the Asian Games Torch Relay in August. On behalf of the Olympic family in India, we hope Incheon will host the most successful Games and we wish the organisers all the success," he said.
