New nuclear shadow hangs over Hiroshima<\/p>\n
HIROSHIMA, Japan (AFP): Hiroshima, resurrected from an atomic
\nbombing half a century ago, is threatened by fallout from a post-
\nCold War nuclear crisis as it prepares to host the Asian Games.<\/p>\n
The Asian Games will have more sports than an Olympics, there
\nwill be a record number of competitors in Hiroshima. But
\npersuading North Korea to be among them will dominate the
\nattention of organizers for weeks to come.<\/p>\n
The city is not despondent however. It is already counting on
\nits 1.5 trillion yen (US$15 billion) investment in arenas,
\nincluding a 50,000-seat stadium, and public works to relaunch
\nthis sanctuary of prayer for peace into a world-class convention
\ncity.<\/p>\n
North Korea stunned organizers last month by deciding not to
\ncompete in team events at the \"Asiad\" which starts October 3. The
\ncountry has so far kept silent about individual competitors for
\nwhom the deadline is July 4.<\/p>\n
\"We have not given up hope on individual events,\" said
\nSumihisa Kato, general affairs director of the Hiroshima Asian
\nGames Organizing Committee (HAGOC). \"But our contact with North
\nKorea is very limited.\"<\/p>\n
The secretive communist state refuses to give reasons for its
\nactions, while sport officials point to North Korea's
\ninternational isolation, compounded by economic woes and the
\ncurrent crisis over its suspected nuclear arms program.<\/p>\n
Kato said Japan would try to persuade North Korea at a meeting
\nnext week in Taipei on preparations for an East Asian sports
\nmeeting to be hosted by Pyongyang in 1995.<\/p>\n
The civil war in Yemen also threatens to impair the 12th
\nquadrennial Asian Games -- following two previous editions
\nsteeped in national propaganda.<\/p>\n
But Hiroshima still promises to be the largest ever Asian
\nGames with some 7,300 competitors and officials from a record 43
\nnations and territories -- counting North Korea and the five
\nformer Soviet republics in central Asia.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the inclusion of peculiarly Asian sports such as
\nwushu and taekwondo, sepak takraw and kabaddi, there will be 34
\nevents -- more even than the 25 at Barcelona Olympics in 1992.<\/p>\n
For Hiroshima, Japan's 10th most populous city, the Asian
\nGames are meant to be a \"catalyst for urban development\" as a
\ncity assemblyman declared before they were chosen by the Olympic
\nCouncil of Asia in 1984.<\/p>\n
Facilities<\/p>\n
Hiroshima, home to 1.1 million people and Mazda cars, has
\nsince invested 1.5 trillion yen, including 200 billion yen from
\nthe private sector, in construction of 21 sport facilities and
\nrelated infra-structure.<\/p>\n
A new airport was opened last October and an 18-kilometer (12-
\nmile) elevated tram line will link the main sports complex in the
\nsuburban hills with the city center in August.<\/p>\n
While big corporations of nationwide significance balked at
\nsponsorship at a time of recession for Japan, local businesses
\nhave chipped in three billion yen in cash and kind.<\/p>\n
Official sponsorship from 69 corporations comes to 4.7 billion
\nyen, 2.8 billion yen short of the original target. There is a
\ntotal operational budget of 28.9 billion yen ($290 million).<\/p>\n
The gap has been plugged by proceeds from a special Asian
\nGames lottery sales and donations from a national organization
\nsponsoring gambling on \"keirin\" bicycle races.<\/p>\n
Hiroshima is never short of a sporting enthusiasm. It went
\nthrough a baseball craze and transformed itself into Japan's
\nfootball capital after the local Sanfrecce club won the first
\nhalf-season title in the J-League.<\/p>\n
\"I may go to see kabbadi or sepak takraw,\" said 22-year-old
\nYoko Yamasaki, who works at an office automation company, as she
\nenjoyed roller-skating at the Peace Memorial Park, mingling with
\nyoung break-dancers. \"I can see other sports anytime.\"<\/p>\n
A new soft surface at the main \"Big Arch\" stadium could also
\nhelp the Chinese women runners break their world records in the
\n1,500-meter, 3,000-meter and 10,000-meter.<\/p>\n
\"We readily anticipate world records from Chinese runners,\"
\nsaid the stadium deputy director Yukio Mihara.<\/p>",
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