Asiad organizers work to end boycott threat<\/p>\n
TOKYO (Reuter): Asian Games organizers yesterday asked the
\nhead of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to let them know which
\nheads of state he has invited to the event as a disastrous
\nChinese boycott of the games looms closer.<\/p>\n
The invitation issue involving OCA President Ahmad al-Fahad of
\nKuwait has turned into a diplomatic and security nightmare for
\nJapanese officials for the games which open on Oct. 2 in
\nHiroshima.<\/p>\n
The main worry is an OCA invitation issued to Taiwan President
\nLee Teng-hui which has led China, the Asian Games champions since
\n1986, to threaten to boycott the games.<\/p>\n
\"We are urging the OCA headquarters in Kuwait to send a list
\nof OCA president-invited guests. But we have not received any
\nanswer from the OCA,\" said a Hiroshima Asian Games official.<\/p>\n
In Kuwait, an OCA official said Ahmad was out of the country
\nuntil next weekend and had no comment on the row.<\/p>\n
The OCA is the sponsor of the games and Hiroshima organizers
\nare worried time was running out to put the finishing touches on
\nstaging Asia's biggest sporting event because of uncertainty
\nabout China's participation.<\/p>\n
Japanese security officials are worried that with less than a
\nmonth until the games they do not know how many major guests they
\nwill need to protect.<\/p>\n
\"The invitation to Lee was made by the OCA president without
\nconsulting with us. So far, we have not heard (from the OCA) of
\nany other heads of states being invited to attend the games,\" the
\nofficial said.<\/p>\n
Games officials are mystified why the OCA president would
\ninvite only one Asian head of state.<\/p>\n
They are even more mystified, and some officials even angered,
\nat why a group like the OCA which is charged with overseeing
\nsport in Asia would be so unaware of the sensitivity of the
\nChina-Taiwan issue.<\/p>\n
\"This is making a laughing stock of the Olympic movement. They
\nlook like complete amateurs,\" one Asian diplomat said.<\/p>\n
Some diplomats said the International Olympic Committee which
\noversees regional and national Olympic organizations, should step
\nin and solve the impasse, even to the extent of overruling the
\ninvitation to Lee.<\/p>\n
A Japanese foreign ministry official said yesterday the
\nministry was closely watching negotiations on Lee's visit between
\nthe OCA and the national Olympic committees of China and Taiwan.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asiad-organizers-work-to-end-boycott-threat-1447893297",
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