Plans to include Hong Kong in showpiece's torch relay scrapped
The torch relay for the 2006 Doha Asian Games will not grace the streets of Hong Kong apparently due to a tepid attitude on the part of the SAR government which led to organisers scrapping plans to stage the run here next year.
A less than enthusiastic response from the government has led to organisers of next year's games abandoning their bid to bring the flame to the SAR. Doha organisers had met with government officials in March this year to talk about the torch relay.
'The government has dragged its feet for so long and it probably resulted in the organisers cancelling their plans,' said Pang Chung, secretary general of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee.
But those claims were vehemently denied by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) yesterday. 'We understand that Doha, the host city has changed its plans and intends to hold the torch relay only in cities which have held the Asian Games before,' said a spokesman for the LCSD last night.
Hong Kong, which went head to head against Qatar in a bid to host the 15th Asian Games, had originally been included in grand plans by Dagoc (Doha Asian Games Organising Committee) who had hoped the torch relay could encompass all 44 nations and territories taking part in the quadrennial event. But those ambitious plans have been cut back drastically. From the original 44, the numbers have now been reduced to 13 - the previous hosts of the Asian Games and neighbouring Gulf nations.
'We received word from Dagoc that Hong Kong won't be part of the torch relay. I don't know why the other countries have pulled out, but as far as Hong Kong is concerned, we know that the government was not so keen to be involved,' said Pang. According to Pang, Dagoc would only provide US$20,000 to each of the participating nations to host the torch relay. Everything else, from volunteers, organisational logistics and any extra costs would have to be borne by that country.