COLOMBO, Aug 17: Two thousand athletes from South Asian nations have arrived in Sri Lanka for the 10th edition of the biannual South Asian Games, making light of security concerns that saw South Africa's cricketers abandon a tri-series cricket tournament this week.
The South Asian Games, which run through Aug 28, will be formally inaugurated by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Friday.
The opening ceremony of the biggest-ever sports event staged by the island nation will highlight Sri Lanka's cultural ethos.
“We’re looking to host the best ever South Asian Games,” said Hemasiri Fernando, president of the Sri Lankan Olympic Committee and a top official of the games organising body.
Several venues staging the 20 sports during these games were built in 1991, when Colombo last hosted the South Asian Games. They have now been refurbished, upgrading the Sri Lankan capital's sports infrastructure.
The multiple-sport regional competition featuring athletes from eight nations -- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives, beside host Sri Lanka – has been in the spotlight after South Africa's jittery cricket team withdrew from a limited-overs tri-series citing security fears in the wake of a bomb blast on Monday near the team hotel that killed seven persons.
Even as Sri Lanka cricket officials were grappling with the embarrassment of South Africa pulling out of the tournament on Wednesday, rejecting the upgraded security that is usually provided to visiting heads of state, South Asian athletes donning colourful uniforms were checking into the same hotels where the cricket teams of India and South Africa are staying.
South Africa's cricket team, which has announced its decision to return home, were due to leave Colombo late on Thursday evening, while India's cricketers are staying put to play a three-match one-day series against the hosts.
Even as the deliberations about cancelling the tour spread over three days, the South African players were seen shopping at a mall next to the team hotel, or going for a jog.
Unmindful of the controversy around South Africa's national squad, young cricketers from the St.John's College in Johannesburg, South Africa, are continuing their tour of Sri Lanka, playing a match in the capital on Thursday before heading for the temple town of Kandy.
Cautious of another violent incident marrying the South Asian Games, security agencies have made elaborate arrangement around the venues, team hotels and key roads in the city for the South Asian Games, easing the concerns of the participants.
“We're providing very tight security during the games,” said Chandra Fernando, an inspector-general of police. “Everyone entering the main Sugathadasa Stadium for the inaugural ceremony Friday will be searched.”
Suresh Kalmadi, chief of the Indian Olympic Association, expressed his satisfaction at the arrangements, adding that the organizers were addressing their security concerns – like those of other participating nations.
“Any country hosting the South Asian Games has to look after some two thousand foreign athletes, it isn't the same as managing a cricket team of 15 players,” Kalmadi said. “India's contingent alone exceeds 400.”
“As members of the Olympic family we believe that sports promote peace and bring people together,” Kalmadi said.
“The games are more relevant in these times for building bridges among people of South Asia,” he said.—AP