Thursday, 26 March 2009

Bear Own Cost In World Games: OCM

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) wants the national sports associations (NSAs) aspiring to compete in the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on July 16-26 to bear their own costs.


OCM honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi said the OCM, the umbrella body for the NSAs, was in the dark on the purpose of the games as the organiser did not contact it.

"All I know is that participation in the games is based on invitation. For OCM, we do not recognise the World Games as competitive sports, but more as demonstration sports," he told Bernama here today.

Sieh said he received a letter from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last month asking OCM to recognise the World Games, but since the games was run by the International World Games Association (IWGA), an independent entity, OCM felt that the organiser just wanted to make a fast buck.

So far, the local NSAs for tenpin bowling, body building, karate and squash were interested, but they must bear their own costs, he said.

The first edition of the World Games was held in Santa Clara (USA) in 1981 and the quadrennial event had been held since then except in the Olympic year.

The eighth edition of the World Games in Kaohsiung is expected to attract 4,500 athletes from 99 nations to compete in 31 sports.

Among the sports that will be competed are acrobatic gymnastics, dance sport, canoe, water polo, rugby 7s, softball, squash, body building, archery, fin swimming and orienteering.

-- BERNAMA

No comments: