> Asian Games to begin today....

medpal

As the official games opening ceremony drwas nearer, the preparations go into full swing at Doha, the hosting city of 15th Asian Games.

As the size of the games is increasing day by day, in becomes mandatory to finish priliminary rounds prior to opening ceremony so that games can be concluded in time of closing ceremony.

This year too is no exception with games like soccer, basketball, softball, volleyballm baseball, badmington, Table tennis will go under whistle from today and tomorrow.

Let the competition begin

India's Jagdeep Singh: he and his team contest the opening basketball match of Doha 2006 against Bahrain

The official Opening Ceremony of Doha 2006 may not be until 1 December but the 15th Asian Games action kicks off this weekend, 18 November.

Round 1 of the men’s football tournament heads a list of six team sports including basketball, baseball and badminton, all of which require a pre-Opening Ceremony beginning as the Middle East's biggest-ever sporting event gets underway.

Football is the first of the sports making an early-bird start to the Games and has the most team sports entrants with 30 countries and regions contesting the medals.

The action gets underway at 16:00 as Jordan takes on Tajikistan in Group A at Al-Wakra Sports Club, with Singapore playing Syria in Group B at Al-Ahli Sports Club.

Eight teams, comprised of two groups of four, compete in round 1, with 22 others joining at round 2. The teams play a three-match mini league ending on 24 November. The winners go through to round two which also starts ahead of the Games Opening Ceremony at Khalifa Stadium.

Basketball, volleyball, baseball, badminton and table tennis are the other team sports starting early. Most will run the entire length of the Games, with the football and basketball finals being the last competitive action before the Closing Ceremony on 15 December.

Twenty teams contest the men’s basketball, which starts on 23 November. India tip-off against Bahrain in the first of four matches – one from each of the four round 1 groups – scheduled at the Basketball Indoor Hall at Sport City.

Round 1 ends on 26 November when the winners of each of the four groups join the eight teams seeded in two six-team groups for the 2nd round.

Lebanon meets Mongolia in the first of five matches as the men’s volleyball starts on 26 November. Table tennis and baseball make their bows on November 30, with badminton also beginning on 30 November – the eve of the Games’ official opening on 1 December.