JOIN USIncheon Asiad begins today
With the 17th Asian Games set to begin here on Friday, South Korea is going all out to boost the business image of this bustling port city.
The strategy was earlier successfully employed by the south-east Asian nation to bring in a turnaround in the fortunes of capital Seoul and Busan.
The 1986 Asiad helped Seoul prepare for a successful conduct of the 1988 Olympics which played a crucial role in its emergence as a truly global city.
The 14th Asian Games, 2002, put Busan on the world map, the south-eastern city is today rising as the second largest Korean metropolis after Seoul.
With the Asiad in Incheon, South Koreans are confident of creating another city that will attract the biggest business enterprises in the world. The ambition is very visible.
The streets are impeccably laid out and maintained with plenty of sky-scrapers, highlighting the rapid development the city has undergone over the last decade.
The preparations for the continental sporting extravaganza appear complete with no visible signs of chaos and confusion. However, the buzz seems to be missing among the locals.
Reports suggest that overall ticket sales have not been up to expectations for the 16-day showpiece event where over 10,000 athletes from 45 nations will be competing in 36 different events.
While organisers feel the fans will warm up when the action begins, an indication of their interest will be visible at the opening ceremony on Friday, expected to be a glitzy affair with “Gangnam style” hitmaker Psy set to perform.
Meanwhile, India will be hoping to repeat their performance shown in Guangzhou four years ago, finishing with their richest-ever overall tally of 14 gold, 17 silver and 34 bronze.
The task will not be easy, considering the patchy form of some of the past performers.
While the Indian athletes have a point to prove, Incheon has its own agenda–rise as the next business hub of Asia.