Overseas delegates arrive today to see for themselves how the SAR is faring in its bid to host the 2006 Asian Games. Officials were last night finalising contingency plans to ensure the poor weather did not leave the four-member team from the Olympic Council of Asia with a bad impression. The three-day visit includes tours of the Hong Kong Stadium and the Convention and Exhibition Centre. Visits to outdoor venues - and negotiating traffic jams - are understood to be the main concerns. An official said the rain might affect the itinerary, but not necessarily the delegates' impression. The deputy head of the bidding team, Maureen Chan Leung Mong-lin, said delegates would examine the SAR's infrastructure by helicopter and ride the airport express railway. The Asian Games Bidding Committee, led by Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang, will outline Hong Kong's strengths during a meeting with the delegates. A government spokesman said the council members could seek clarification on the bid document. One of the rival cities, Kuala Lumpur, accused the SAR of giving souvenirs to council members when Mrs Chan led a delegation to Brazil in May. The spokesman said the Government had a protocol for receiving overseas delegates, adding that the arrangements would be in line with the council's own rules. 'What we are providing is neither luxurious nor mean,' the spokesman said. Bidding committee vice-chairman Timothy Fok Tsun-ting said no advantages would be offered. The SAR is the last stop on the team's itinerary after New Delhi, Doha (capital of Qatar) and Kuala Lumpur. The council will come to a decision in November.
