14 September, 2007
BANGKOK: The Korat SEA Games Committee Thursday asked Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar to check his facts first with his officials before slamming the organising committee.
Secretary of the organising committee, Prof Charoen Wattanasin said it was not true that participating teams were not given updates and accreditation forms for the media.
"He (Tunku Imran) should ask Prof (Datuk) W.Y. Chin about the updates. There is no point in pointing fingers at others," he said when asked to comment on a newspaper report in Malaysia quoting Tunku Imran that the OCM was disappointed with the organising committee.
Charoen, who is also the Sports and Rules Committee chairman, said the OCM vice-president attended the committee meeting here early this month where SEA Games Federation (SGF) members were updated on Thailand's preparations for the 24th edition of the biennial games.
"Prof Chin was happy with the progress made by us," he said.
Describing Tunku Imran's accusation as unjustified and unfair to the organising committee, Charoen said accreditation for the media were now available with their respective national olympic committees.
On another complaint that the organisers are charging a fee for the TV broadcast, Charoen said the meeting resolved the issue when all the members agreed that the television rights belong to SGF and not the organising committee.
It was reported here that Thailand had paid back VTC Television of Vietnam Bt12 million after the issue of television rights was resolved.
Charoen said several countries visited Korat to see the preparations undertaken by the organisers, including the Singapore Olympic Committee which went there recently and was satisfied with the progress made.
He said all the venues would be completed by Oct 31 and a number of test events were planned or already held, citing the Asian Cycling Championship in Korat last week.
In November, the Chef-de-missions meeting would be held to further update the competing countries and iron out any problems, he added.
Korat, 260km northeast of Bangkok, was picked by the Thai government as Bangkok, which hosted four of the five SEA Games held in Thailand since the event started in 1959, hosted the 2007 World University Games in August.
The province is building a US$77 million sports complex, which among others, includes two indoor stadiums with capacities of 5,000 and 2,000, a 20,000-capacity outdoor stadium and a 50m-long Olympic pool.
Some of the sports will also take place in Chon Buri and Bangkok. The Games' opening date on Dec 5 was picked to commemorate the 80th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest reigning monarch.- Bernama
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