Chinese city Hangzhou wins one-horse race to host Asian Games in 2022 - the same year as the Beijing Winter Olympics
Beijing's Winter Olympics won't be the only high-profile sporting event taking place in China in 2022 - the city of Hangzhou has been confirmed as host of that year's Asian Games.
The news was announced yesterday after the Olympic Council of Asia signed a contract with officials from the coastal city of nine million people during meetings in Turkmenistan.
The decision was not a surprise as Hangzhou was the only candidate. Even so, the announcement prompted internet users to express concern at the likely effect on home prices and tight security measures that would be required.
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"I know it was the only candidate, but it also achieved a lot of our goals," OCA president Sheikh Ahmed al-Fahad al-Sabah said.
Hangzhou Mayor Zhong Hongming said the Asian Games would "play a very big role in the development of the city".
"We promise that the Games will be hosted at the highest level," he added.
The decision comes shortly after Beijing won the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, having already hosted the Summer Games in 2008.
Hangzhou will become the third Chinese city to host the Asian Games, after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.
Guangzhou became heavily indebted after its multibillion-yuan blowout on the operating budget for the 2010 Asian Games. The city government went three billion yuan (HK$3.64 billion) over the official 13.6 billion yuan budget, while some critics say billions more was spent on infrastructure improvements and urban facelifts.
I know it was the only candidate, but it also achieved a lot of our goals
Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province near Shanghai, has an ancient history under the country's former imperial dynasties and has grown rapidly in recent years, boosted by economic growth nationwide. It is best known for its West Lake tourist attraction.
The next Asian Games will be held in Indonesia in 2018. Originally, Hanoi in Vietnam had been due to hold the Games in 2019, but it withdrew citing financial concerns. Indonesia stepped in to host the Games in Jakarta and Palembang, moving the event forward a year to avoid a clash with national elections.
