OpinionInside Incheon: Why haven't World Cup hosts Qatar bothered to enter Asian Games football tournament?
Could the decision be linked to the ousting of Mohamed Bin Hammam?
It's a shame the country which will controversially host the 2022 soccer World Cup does not consent to send a team to these Asian Games.
If it were some tiny Asian footballing nation, then that would hardly registered on the radar. But Qatar are a regional powerhouse and they did win the men's gold medal at the 2006 Games in Doha.
By turning their backs on Incheon, Qatar have all but thumbed their noses at the Olympic Council of Asia. It is a huge loss of face, even if it is only the national Under-23 teams that take part.
By turning their backs on Incheon, Qatar have all but thumbed their noses at the Olympic Council of Asia. It is a huge loss of face, even if it is only the national under-23 teams that take part.
The official reason offered by the Qatar Football Association is that most of the players come from Al Rayyan, a club trying to get back into the top league in the domestic competition.
"Without Rayyan players, our campaign will look weak and that forced us to take this decision," a QFA official said after the withdrawal.
A Qatari journalist at the Games tells me: "The domestic season has started and all the clubs are busy. Also the national team is preparing for the Gulf Cup and the Asian Cup."
It might sound plausible, especially if you take into account that the Under-19 Asian Championship is being played in Myanmar and Qatar has sent a team there. Yet, if all the other big teams like Japan, South Korea, Iran and China can send teams to the age-group tournament and also to Incheon, then why can't Qatar?
Same again for the Asian Cup excuse. In fact all the top guns who will go to Australia in January will be looking eagerly at Incheon to see if any fresh young talent is unearthed there.