Incheon keeps squash, wushu in programme

Hong Kong can rest easy after sports like squash and wushu, traditionally key sources of medals, were retained for the next Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014.

A compromise was reached between the Olympic Council of Asia and the Incheon Games organisers whereby, instead of the required 35 sports, an extra sport was added, allowing much-needed leeway.

Incheon will now have 36 sports on its roster - less than the 42 at last month's Guangzhou Games: the 28 Olympic sports plus baseball, bowling (tenpin), kabaddi, sepak takraw, squash, wushu, cricket and karate.

The decision was confirmed by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah and Dr Lee Yun-taek, president of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organising Committee, on Thursday.

With the OCA pressing for the inclusion of cricket and karate, and the Incheon organisers wanting their own agenda, a deal was struck whereby only softball was omitted, but the number of non-Olympic sports increased to eight instead seven.

There had been fears that squash and wushu might be axed as they were not favoured by South Korea. The OCA wanted a cap on the number of sports to make the hosting of future Games more affordable for bidding countries.

Hong Kong is hoping to bid for the 2023 Asian Games.

It was also decided that revenues would be shared with OCA taking one-third and IAGOC the remaining two-thirds.

Sporting selection

The Asian Games to be held in Incheon will now have this number of sports on the programme: 36