Hong Kong bids to host 2006 Asiad

Hong Kong bids to host 2006 Asiad

HONG KONG (AFP): Hong Kong will launch a bid to host the 2006 Asian Games, Chinese official media reported here Tuesday.

The head of the Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, said the former British colony would attempt to stage the games after South Korea hosts the event in 2002, the official Xinhua news agency said.

"Our goal is to bid for the Asian Games," Fok was quoted by the news agency as saying.

The agency also quoted the Hong Kong Olympic Committee's secretary general Pang Chung as saying the territory would seek to host the 2010 games if its 2006 bid was unsuccessful.

"If we fail to bid for the 2006 Asian Games, we will try again bidding for the 2010 Asian Games," Pang said.

Timothy Fok said he had confidence in Hong Kong because it had a more advanced communications system and better economic circumstances than Bangkok, which hosted the 1998 Games.