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Draw for Soccer in Doha Asian Games.

Iran have won the Asian Games title the most times in 1974, 1990, 1998 and 2002.


FIRST ROUND – MEN

Group A – Jordan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Macau

Group B – Singapore, Syria, Indonesia, Iraq

SECOND ROUND –

Group A – Qatar, UAE, Uzbekistan, Winner of First Round Group A

Group B – Korea Republic, Bahrain, Vietnam, Bangladesh

Group C – Thailand, Kuwait, Yemen, Palestine

Group D – Iran, India, Hong Kong, Maldives

Group E – China, Oman, Malaysia, Winner of First Round Group B

Group F – Japan, DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, Pakistan


WOMEN

Group A – China, Japan, Maldives, Jordan

Group B – DPR Korea, Korea Republic, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam

OCA meeting to debate on trimming Asian Games

The ever-expanding Asian Games is set to trim its flab. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has taken a cue from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which in its 117th session in Singapore early this month, dropped baseball and softball from its 2012 Olympic programme.

Judging by the outrage that followed after the IOC voted the two events out thereby reducing its programme to 26 disciplines, the OCA, however, is planning a guarded move.

"The OCA will debate in its next meeting how to control the size, cost and complexity of the Asian Games," said its Secretary-General, Randhir Singh.

"There are some sports which could be shifted to the newly launched Indoor Asian Games. This will also help in strengthening the new Games," said Mr. Randhir Singh. The inaugural Indoor Asian Games, with nine disciplines including aerobics, dance sports, extreme sports and futsal, will be staged in Bangkok from November 12 to 19.

The 2006 Doha Asian Games will be the biggest both in terms of number of sports and participation. There will be 39 sports on schedule after chess and triathlon got added to the itinerary of 2002 Busan Games.

"Managing such a huge Games is not an easy job. Going by the number of athletes and officials participating, it would be as big as Olympics but we are ready," said Ahmed Al-Khulaifi, Deputy Director General of the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC).

Mr. Khulaifi is leading a DAGOC team, which is on its media tour of South Asia. On its visit to New Delhi on Monday, Khulaifi said that he regretted that the DAGOC had to drop cricket from the schedule as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) refused to commit top teams for the Games.

In 2004, the OCA, with much fanfare, had announced the inclusion of cricket in the Asian Games, but early this year dropped it from the Doha itinerary.

"The cricket bodies were insisting on under-19 teams and though we were interested the OCA decided to leave cricket out," said Mr. Khulaifi.

In the backdrop of the spurt of bombings across the continents — the attack on London tube a day after the British capital was chosen to host the 2012 Olympics triggering the worst fears — Mr. Khulaifi said that security would be one of the high-priority areas for the DAGOC.

"We have contracted an international security consultancy firm which would work very closely with the Qatari forces," said Khulaifi considering that Doha is the U.S. headquarters for the American military operations in the region.

The 2.8 billion dollar Doha Games will be held from December 1 to 15, 2006.

India’s Navpreet qualifies for Doha Asian Games

India’s Navpreet Singh Cheema has qualified for the ensuing Doha Asian Games by throwing the 60-pound iron ball to a distance of 18.93 metres in the 46th National Athletics Championship concluded in Chennai on November 5. Cheema stayed well ahead of his Delhi counterpart Kuldeep Singh Mann who put the shot to a distance of 18.18m.
On the basis of this performance, Cheema has been selected to represent the country in the Doha Asiad, Cheema, who has numerous national and international medals under his belt, will be a strong medal hope for India.
Cheema, who hails from Doraha, about 20km from Ludhiana, is at present employed with the Punjab Police on the post of inspector. Under the guidance of his elder brother Harinder Singh Cheema, who is a national-level discus thrower and currently appointed as a coach in Guru Nanak Stadium, Navpreet opted for shot put in 1995. In two years, in 1997, his hardwork bore fruits as he won the silver medal in the Junior Asiad held at Bankok. He also brought accolades for the country by winning silver medal in the 2002 Senior Asia Track and Field event held at Colombo.
Navpreet Singh Cheema has already left for Muscat for training, ahead of the Asiad.
Talking to Newsline, Harinder Singh Cheema said Navpreet had suffered from a calf injury soon after the 2002 Commonwealth held at Manchester, and due other injuries he could not participate in the Commonwealth Games held in Australia this year.
“He is fully fit now and I am sure he will live up to our expectations,” said Harinder Cheema. He added that Navpreet has done considerably well in the recent past. He won silver in the 2005 Asia Track and Field championship, held in Korea, while stood seventh in the World Championship held at Athens.
Harinder said there is tough competition ahead in the Doha Asian Games, where Qatar, Saudi Arabia and China are considered to be the favourites in the event.

Cheema's shot at a medal



Put into the firing line, Navpreet Singh Cheema goes for a medal in the shot put competition
It is likely to be one of the most hotly-contested athletics events at the 15th Asian Games, but India has high hopes that Navpreet Singh Cheema can contend for a medal in the men’s shot put this December.

Cheema clinched his place when taking gold at the recent Indian National Championships in Chennai, where he launched the hefty iron sphere out to 18.93m. The 27 year-old also boasts a decent record at international level.

In 2002, he took silver at the Asia Track and Field Championships with 18.97m, repeating the feat in 2005 with a mighty 19.40m. He also took gold at the inaugural Asian Indoor Games in Bangkok, Thailand in 2005 with 18.40m and this summer, he represented Asia at the IAAF World Cup in Athens, Greece where he was a creditable 7th with 18.43m.

However, with the likes of Sultan Mubarak Al-Hebshi (Saudi Arabia), Zhang Qi (China) and Khaled Habesh al-Suwaidi (Qatar) all lying in wait in Doha, he has some stiff opposition ahead of him. All are capable of distances nearing the 20m mark and it is likely that Cheema will have to be close to his personal best of 19.93m, which he recorded in 2004, if he is to challenge for medals.

To maximise his chances, Cheema has temporarily taken leave of his duties as a police inspector in his native Doraha to hone his preparations in Muscat, Oman.

A calf injury afflicted him in the early part of 2006, causing him to miss out on the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March, but coach and elder brother Harinder Singh Cheema, feels his athlete is now in tip-top shape.

He said: “He is fully fit now and I am sure he will live up to our expectations.” The men’s shot final takes place on Monday 11 December at the Khalifa Stadium.

Korea ready to repeat Busan
Thursday, 09 November, 2006
Korea's Asian Games Dohe 2006 team plans to be at least as good as they were in the Busan Asian Games 2002

Korea is aiming to at least equal its Busan Asian Games second-place standing when it competes at the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 this December. Officials have stated that at least 70 gold medals is the target they hope to attain at the Games.

In 2002, at the last Asian Games, Korea as host nation managed a tally of 96 gold, 80 silver and 84 bronze medals, coming in second place to China, who, with a grand total of 150 gold medals led the Games; while Japan came in third with 44 gold.

Beginning 1 December for two weeks, 12,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries will complete in the Doha Games.

For these Games, Korea is sending 750 athletes and they will participate in 37 of the 39 events, chess and kabbadi being the exceptions. Korea aims to win 29 of the 37 competitions it enters.

Seven of the medals could come from taekwondo. In Busan, Korea won 12 gold medals in taekwondo from the 16 classes they entered.

Their new taekwondo squad is considered to be quite capable of winning at least seven gold from the 12 classes they will participate in.

The reduction in the number of classes they are allowed to enter, from 16 down to 12 (unless it is the host country), under a 1998 ruling, has meant that Korea is now looking for victory in other events, with fewer medals in taekwondo expected.

Athletes’ Village first guests
Sunday, 12 November, 2006
Athletes' Village staff arrive for work on opening day, ready to welcome IR Iran, the first delegation
The brand new Athletes’ Village became fully operational on Friday 10 November as its first guests arrived to take up their residency.

Officials from IR Iran, including its Chef de Mission Mr Sayed Nasrollah Sejadi, along with colleagues Mr Mohammed Azizi and Ms Atefeh Eslamian, were greeted by the Village Protocol and Welcome Committee before being allocated their accommodation.

Initial task of the IR Iran National Olympic Committee (NOC) members is to make sure all preparations regarding accommodation, transportation, health services, catering and training are in place before the arrival of the Iranian team.

A further 44 participating NOCs are on their way to take up residency at the Athletes’ Village and the IR Iran group was due to be joined on Saturday 11 November by NOC delegations from Thailand and Bahrain, while a two-man team from Kazakhstan is set to arrive today, 12 November.

Hosts Qatar will send a four-man delegation led by Chef de Mission Ahmad Al Mawlawi; they are scheduled to arrive in the Village tomorrow.

The Athletes’ Village comprises 32 residential buildings with a total of 811 apartments for athletes. A further 45 apartments are available for Chefs de Mission and officials as well as an NOC office for each participating country and region.

Each of the athlete’s apartments can house up to 13 people and consists of five bedrooms and four bathrooms, as well as a communal living room with television and telephone access.

Thai tennis hopes boosted


Thailand's medal hopes rise with the announcement that superstar Paradorn Srichaphan will play
Thailand’s medal hopes at the 15th Asian Games have been given an enormous boost with the news that their tennis superstar Paradorn Srichaphan has confirmed his intention to compete at Doha 2006.

With an exhausting schedule and ongoing problems with a wrist injury, there were doubts whether Srichaphan would be able to defend the men’s singles title he won four years ago in Korea.

But, following an excellent run of form in recent months, coupled with the desire to mark the King of Thailand’s 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne in glorious fashion, the 27-year-old will, after all, take to the courts at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash in December.

Furthermore, he will also do so with very realistic ambitions on gold. Although now not officially recognised as Asia’s top player, according the ATP rankings, which places Korea's Lee Hyung Taik at number 49, four places above Srichaphan, the Thai is still likely to start as favourite.

He holds a 2-0 ATP Tour head-to-head record against Lee and also defeated the Korean in front of a partisan home crowd in the final to take gold at Busan 2002.

Chess champ Humpy is happy
Blessed with chess prowess, India look to be contenders for gold
Koneru Humpy, Indian chess grand master, says her team will be the one to beat when the 15th Asian Games click into gear in Doha.

Speaking on Tuesday 21 November she beamed: "It's the first time that chess has been included in the Asian Games, so we are all looking to do well. The Indian team are the best on paper and the expectations are very high.”

They should do well. Humpy, the women’s world No 2, will spearhead the team and will be joined by two top male colleagues with international pedigree.

Sashikiran Krishnan, winner of the Asian Championship and 20 year-old former junior champion Harikrishna Pentala will team-up with 19 year-old Humpy at the 15th Asian Games.

Their strongest competition will come from China, Qatar, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

The chess tournament at the 15th Asian Games takes place 2 – 14 December at the Al-Dana Club in Doha.

Table tennis ace feels the strain

China's men's table tennis world No 2 Ma Lin has admitted to feeling the pressure of expectation ahead of the 15th Asian Games.

Ma, who paired Chen Qi to win Olympic doubles gold at Athens in 2004, will play singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Doha 2006 and will carry China's main hopes after his compatriot and world No 1 Wang Liqin was left out of the squad in order to give a chance to new talent.

"I'm the oldest and most experienced player in the team and the whole team is looking at me,” the 26 year-old told the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper. “I cannot afford to make any mistakes."

Four years ago in Busan Ma clinched team gold and bronze medals in both the doubles and mixed doubles and is a favourite to deliver triple gold in Doha.

"The difference between this tournament and the previous one is that the burden on me is heavier," said Ma, who clinched a record fourth men’s World Cup title in Paris, 29 October 2006.

He is promising to take the fight to his rivals in Qatar. “Before I felt that I was not a bad player, so I would always be defensive, defending the lead, defending for victory. I'm not thinking of defence any more.”

Ma knows, however, that with China looking to develop new talent with the aim of becoming the world’s No 1 sporting nation at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he cannot afford to relax.

“The young guys have all matured, have good skills and are fit. If I remain defensive, will there be any chance left for me?”

The table tennis tournament at Doha 2006 will be held 29 November – 7 December at Al-Arabi Sports Club in Doha.

Basketball bounces into Games

The basketball competition at the 15th Asian Games gets underway at the Basketball Indoor Hall, Sport City, next to Khalifa Stadium, on 23 November.

India, which finished 12th in the Asian Championships in 2005, tip off the action when it takes on Bahrain in the first of four preliminary round matches.

Mongolia play Uzbekistan, Afghanistan face Hong Kong, China, while United Arab Emirates conclude the first day’s action against Kuwait.

China has dominated the Asian Games basketball competition, winning four consecutive gold medals until a shock 102-100 defeat to Korea in the final at the 14th Asian Games Busan 2002.

Since then China finished a creditable 8th at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and won both Asian Championship titles in 2003 and 2005. They seem to have the strongest chance for gold.

It has been widely reported that China will be without Yao Ming, the talismanic centre who is contracted to play with the NBA’s Houston Rockets. But back in the squad is 29 year-old Wang Zhizhi, the 2.18m (7ft 1in) centre who became the first Chinese player to play in the NBA, but is now back in China playing for Bayi.

All dressed up

A small selection of some of the sumptious headdresses waiting for the 15th Asian Games Opening Ceremony

In the run-up to the 15th Asian Games Opening Ceremony on 1 December, sneak previews of what to expect are starting to come through the two-year wall of secrecy surrounding the spectacular. The latest information to see the light of day is about the costumes to be worn.

The Doha Asian Games Organising Committee’s (DAGOC) designers and planners have been tantalising us with statements that the Opening Ceremony will be the biggest and best of any Games, but following the weekend’s announcement of some of the singers, there is more solid information to go on.

More than 1,000 global event specialists from across the world are working with DAGOC in purpose-built facilities in Doha to create the most spectacular show ever. To give an idea of the extent of the spectacle, more than 6,500 costumes are being prepared.

Costume designers have spent the past two years researching various cultures that will be part of the Doha 2006 family, before beginning to design what is reported to be an elaborate array of stunning costumes.

Outsiders dreaming of glory

Teams like China, Japan and Korea may be expected to sweep up most of the medals but some of the smaller countries and regions will want to make an impact at the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006.

Cambodia and Oman both failed to register a medal at the 14th Asian Games Busan 2002 but will be optimistic of faring better this time.

Boxing offers Cambodia the best chance of a podium place with welterweight Min Saiheng and middleweight Ath Samreth considered outside medal chances.

Oman is seeking success in the shooting where Saleem Al Nasri will be among the contenders in the double trap. Al Nasri finished just outside the top 20 at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and is placed 6th in Asia in the most recent rankings.

Timor-Leste became the first new nation of the 21st century when it declared independence from Indonesia in 2002, just in time to send a team to Busan. Doha will be its second Asian Games.

It will send 17 athletes in total in sports like boxing, weightlifting, taekwondo and athletics. Lightweight boxer Victor Ramos is Timor-Leste’s star pick – already a veteran of two Olympic Games and one Asian Games.

Bhutan, a secluded country in-between China and India, is another nation aiming to win a medal. Archery is the national sport and it finished 4th in the team event four years ago in Busan. With competitions held regularly in villages throughout the monarchy, it is hopeful of going one place better in Doha.

Brunei Darussalam is taking only eight athletes to the Games but one of them, HJ Johari, will be hoping his silver medal in under-55kg karate at the Southeast Asian Games Philippines 2005 stands him in good stead.

Games volunteers show true spirit

Dream team: our writer (centre) among a group of volunteers

For Mustafa Fatthi it is time to give something back, to repay Qatar for six years of hospitality. The 40 year-old Sudanese, a tall man who towers over most, has decided like so many others – 16,000 of them, in fact – to volunteer and help the 15th Asian Games run smoothly.

The trading company salesman who came to Doha with his wife and young son will now give up his time for free to help spread a message of peace and unity at the Games.

Mustafa has driven his enormous white pick-up truck to the outskirts of Doha. The sand sits still in the midday heat.

The Uniform and Accreditation Centre (UAC) is located near the Al Gharrafa stadium, one of the venues for the football tournament. Today, Mustafa will get volunteer training and his uniform.

“It is important that you give something to Qatar,” he beams as he strolls into the brand new building. “I will learn new skills too, like dealing with people. It will look good on my CV – many of my friends are getting involved for the same reasons.

“Volunteers also get some tickets to the events. I am looking forward to taking my wife and son to the football or the basketball, we love sport in Qatar and the Games will give Doha a huge boost,” he says as his long legs help him follow the signs to the training wing.

“I will be working each day in the morning, but will be free each evening to help.” Mustafa will distribute team sheets, statistics and other material to journalists at the media centre. He will pick up some useful computer skills while volunteering.

Yemen withdraw from football
Thursday, 23 November, 2006

Yemen have withdrawn from the 15th Asian Games football competition. In a statement Doha Asian Games Organising Commitee (DAGOC) said it had officially been informed of the decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Yemen, who were due to play in Group C with Thailand, Kuwait and Palestine, join Turkmenistan in pulling out of the competition. Turkmenistan withdrew from Group F, where they would have faced Japan, DPR Korea and Pakistan, on Tuesday 21 November.

The AFC's new arrangements for the football competion would still see the top two teams in both groups A and B advance to the second round. A draw will be conducted by the AFC Secretariat at Al Gharrafa Stadium on Saturday 25 November at 11:00 to decide in which round 2 groups the runners-up of Group A and Group B will be placed.