Asian Games'98 to field a record 43 national teams

Asian Games'98 to field a record 43 national teams

JAKARTA (Agencies): Despite Asia's economic crisis, the 13th
Asian Games will live up to its billing as the last great sports
festival of the century as all 43 members of the Olympic Council
of Asia (OCA) will be participating in the event to be held in
Bangkok from Dec. 6 to Dec. 20.

The Bangkok Asian Games Organizing Committee (BAGOC) said in
its press release available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that
for the first time in history of the games, all members of the
OCA will send their representatives.

"This ensures that Asian Games is the largest regional
sporting event in the world and second only to the Olympic Games
in total size," the release said.

The games also sees an increase in the number of sports,
athletes and officials.

Following the Sept. 10 deadline for all countries to submit
their entries by number to the BAGOC, 41 countries had committed
to sending athletes with only Afghanistan and Palestine unable to
send athletes.

However, to maintain the spirit of sportsmanship and further
promote the Olympic family's unity, the OCA has agreed to sponsor
athletes from the two countries to ensure that all members are
present in Bangkok for the 13th Asiad.

With the receipt of all the applications from OCA member
countries, it means that 11,048 athletes and officials will
converge in Bangkok in December.

The total comprises 8,678 athletes (5,989 men and 2,780 women)
and 2,370 officials. These athletes will compete for 377 gold
medals in 36 sports with a further 14 gold medals available in
two demonstration sports.

Host Thailand provides the largest contingent of 1,068
athletes and officials and is the only country to take part in
all sports during the Games. The smallest contingent is provided
by Bhutan, which will send 15 athletes who will take part only in
taekwondo and archery.

The other contingents include China (930), South Korea (767),
Chinese Taipei (641), Japan (638), the Philippines (593), India
(373), Singapore (349), Malaysia (320), Sri Lanka (298), Hong
Kong (294), Qatar (237), Indonesia (235), North Korea (229),
Pakistan (165), Oman (82), Saudi Arabia (74) and Kuwait (49).

As expected, track and field is the sport offering the most
athletes with 893 (558 men and 335 women) who are challenging for
45 gold medals.

The soccer competition has 684 (540 men and 144 women)
competing for two gold medals (men and women). Soccer is closely
followed by swimming with 678 athletes (420 men and 258 women)
competing for 39 gold medals in swimming, diving, synchronized
swimming and water polo.

Some of the lesser known sports in Asia have attracted the
fewest entries with only 36 competitors taking part in squash, 70
in Indian sport Kabaddi and 77 in soft tennis.

The two exhibition events are dance sport (ballroom dancing)
and amateur Muay Thai (Thai kick boxing). They have attracted 48
and nine competitors respectively.