Cricket, kabaddi stay on as medal sports for Incheon Asiad

Mumbai: India can look forward to two games in which they can excel at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Korea -- cricket and kabaddi, following the decision to retain these sporting disciplines in the Games sports programme.

The Olympic Council of Asia announced that cricket, which made its debut at last month`s Guangzhou Games has been retained for the 17th Asiad in Incheon. However, it is important to note that the Indian team did not participate in the event. While, kabaddi fetched India two gold medals in both men and women`s categories. OCA chief Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al-Sabah and Dr Lee Yun Taek, President of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organising Committee (IAGOC), made the final confirmation about sports programme of the Incheon Asiad at Muscat, Oman, venue of the ongoing Asian Beach Games. IAGOC had proposed a total of 35 sports at the Guangzhou OCA General Assembly in November based on the amendments made to the OCA, which included 28 Olympic sports plus baseball, bowling, kabaddi, sepaktakraw, softball, squash and wushu. However, the OCA Executive Board had decided that the inclusion of cricket and karate would be more beneficial towards the overall direction of the Asian Games, an OCA newsletter said. As per the OCA Constitution, it had the sole authority to approve the sports programme and based on this fact, OCA and IAGOC finalised the sports programme for the 2014 Asian Games. As a compromise, softball was dropped to accommodate both cricket and Japan`s pet karate to make it a 36-sport programme instead of the previously declared 35. The sports programme for the 17th Asiad is: 28 Olympic sports, baseball, bowling (usage of existing venues as recommended by OCA), kabaddi, sepaktakraw, squash, wushu, cricket (temporary venues) and karate. It was also agreed that no additional sports will be allowed to be added to the sports program once announced. OCA and IAGOC also agreed to follow the Guangzhou method for sharing revenues as per the OCA Constitution by which OCA would take one-third and IAGOC would retain the remaining two-thirds. PTI