Choice of Qatar for Asian Games prompts cries of foul

November 13, 2000
Web posted at: 9:21 a.m. HKT (0121 GMT)

In this story: 'Merit and criteria went through the window' First Middle East Games since Teheran RELATED STORIES, SITES

HONG KONG (CNN) -- Rival bidders Malaysia and Hong Kong called for a more transparent bidding and voting process following the announcement that the Qatari city of Doha will host the 2006 Asian Games.

The small city of Doha upset the more fancied host bids from Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, winning 22 votes in the second round of voting. Kuala Lumpur received 13 votes and Hong Kong six. The Indian city of New Delhi was eliminated in the first round.

Delegates from Kuala Lumpur, favorite to host the Games following its successful management of the 1998 Commonwealth Games, could not hide their disappointment as they left the Olympic Committee meeting in Pusan, South Korea.

'Merit and criteria went through the window'

A tearful President of the Malaysian Olympic Council, Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar claimed the decision was based more on the economic wealth of Qatar than sporting incentive.

"Malaysia did not lose -- in the end it was the Asian Games that lost," he told the South China Morning Post newspaper.

"Obviously, in this case the merit and criteria went through the window."

The Qatari delegation was jubilant after the announcement.

First Middle East Games since Tehran

Sheikh Khalid bin Ali al-Thani, Qatar's National Olympic Committee secretary, said the 350,000 residents of Doha have a right to celebrate.

"We are very excited and happy to win the race," al-Thani said.

"We won because the sports sector agreed the Asian Games should be hosted in a different region in Asia," he told the Post.

It will be the first time the Games have been staged in the Middle East since they were held in Tehran, Iran, in 1976.

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