Incheon Makes a Pitch for
Bringing 2014 Asian Games

OCA General Assembly to be convened in Kuwait in April to decide the host city

Incheon is shifting into high gears by accelerating its bid to host the 2014 Asian Games in a run-up to the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) slated for April 17 in Kuwait, which will decide the host city.
In the latest pitch for bringing the 17th Asian Games, Incheon Metropolitan City has dispatched a high-profile delegation to Changchun, China, the venue of the 2007 Winter Asian Games, which dropped the curtain on February 4.
Incheon is vying with Delhi of India to become the host city of the 2014 Asian Games.
Korean delegates have made last-minute efforts to woo representatives of OCA member states during the 2007 Winter Asian Games. They included Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo, Shin Yong-suk, chairman of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Bid Committee, and Park Yang-woo, vice minister of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism and three lawmakers.
In a bid to deny allegation that Korea is only focusing on PyeongChang's bid for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games,
the Incheon delegation delivered to the OCA a resolution from the Korean parliament backing the government's full support for Incheon's bid for the Asian Games.
Incheon launched its bid for playing host at the 2014 Asian Games on June 29, 2005, when it submitted an application for its bid to the OCA Secretariat. With the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Bid Committee assuming leading roles, Incheon has been conducting diverse activities in Korea and abroad designed to promote its bid for bringing the Asian Games.
Delegates from Incheon met with NOC officials during the NOC General Assembly held in Seoul from March 31 to April 8, 2006 and publicized Incheon's strengths: organizing experiences that Korea has accumulated in hosting such sports extravaganzas like the 1988 Olympic Summer Games and 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup and Korea's top-notch information and telecommunication capabilities. Incheon has been host to sporting events and diverse rallies as the Incheon International Marathon Competition, and citizens'meetings designed to give support for Incheon's bid.
Thanks to these efforts, the OCA's evaluation committee, which first-hand inspected Incheon's bid during a tour last November, gave higher points to Incheon than Delhi in terms of such areas as sport facilities, transport and telecommunications.
The head of the OCA evaluation committee said Incheon will build new sports facilities, while Delhi will remodel the exiting ones.
WORLD-CLASS STADIUMS FOR 37 SPORTS. Incheon has 11 facilities of Olympic-level quality. Four more will be upgraded and five new facilities are in the planning stages. That leaves 17 new facilities to be built if Incheon is awarded the Games. New venue planning will be undertaken with a view to post-Games uses. The other key factors will be balanced distribution of stadiums throughout the city and convenience in terms of distance from the Athletes'Village.
Under the catchphrase, "Seize the Excitement,"Korea's location at the heart of Northeast Asia, along with the accumulated experience of successfully hosting numerous international sporting events, the full support of the government and the nation's unifying passing for international sports will converge in Incheon in 2014 as the continent celebrates a spectacle of united Asian sports, friendship and culture, if Incheon becomes the host city, 2014 Incheon Asian Games Bid Committee officials said.
Following Incheon's selection as the 2014 host city, South Korea will organize an inter-ministerial support committee, headed by the prime minister, to mobilize the necessary resources. Additionally, a section act to support the 2014 Asian Games will be enacted to facilitate preparations.
A Green Plan will be implemented to create an appropriate environment. All facilities will be built and managed in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Guaranteed fast and efficient processing of people and luggage will provide a comfortable experience for all participants. The government will offer one-stop services at ports of entry. Special features will include issuance of visas within 14 days, an Asian Games-dedicated channel at ports of entry, tax exemptions, Asian Games family lounges, and "one-stop customs control bureaus"at airports and ports. nw

Incheon has 11 facilities of Olympic-level quality, including Incheon Munhak Stadium. If Incheon is awarded the 2014 Asian Games, 17 new facilities will be built.