Asian Games spark investment for Hanoi
Vietnam’s capital Hanoi on November 9 won the right to host the 2019 Asian Games over Dubai and Surabaya, a victory that will unlock at least $150 million in infrastructure investment, Vietnamese officials believe.
Hanoi got the nod ahead of Indonesia’s second biggest city of Surabaya and UAE’s Dubai , the Olympic Council (OCA) of Asia said after a meeting in Macau.
“The majority of the votes are for the city of Hanoi to hold the 2019 Asian Games,” OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah told a press conference after the decision fell.
Dubai pulled out at the last minute due to “administrative reasons”, saying it wanted to focus on future bids, to leave Surabaya as Hanoi’s only rival.
Vietnam Olympic Committee Secretary General Hoang Vinh Giang expressed his satisfaction over the decision. He said that the Vietnamese government estimates the 18th Asian Games will cost some $150 million and require the construction of new sporting stadiums and an athletes’ village.
“We will build new infrastructure. Not only for the Asian Games — the government has already approved a major development plan for Hanoi for the next 10 years,” Hoang said.
“It will be big investment, big budget, new highways, new tunnels and so on,” he added.
The Asian Games features regular Olympic sports like swimming and athletics, as well as disciplines that reflect Asia’s diverse cultures.
Guangzhou in southern China held the previous Asian Games in 2010, and the next games will be held in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014. The games are usually held every four years but the organisers decided to delay the 18th games by a year for scheduling reasons.
[caption id="attachment_5228" align="alignleft" width="300"] Olympic Council of Asia president Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah announcing the decision to hold the 18th Asian Games in 2019 in Hanoi.[/caption] Vietnam's capital Hanoi on November 9 won the right to host the 2019 Asian Games over Dubai and Surabaya, a victory that will unlock at least $150 million in infrastructure investment, Vietnamese officials believe. Hanoi got the nod ahead of Indonesia’s second biggest city of Surabaya and UAE's Dubai , the Olympic Council (OCA) of Asia said after a meeting in Macau. “The majority of the votes are for the city of...
Vietnam’s capital Hanoi on November 9 won the right to host the 2019 Asian Games over Dubai and Surabaya, a victory that will unlock at least $150 million in infrastructure investment, Vietnamese officials believe.
Hanoi got the nod ahead of Indonesia’s second biggest city of Surabaya and UAE’s Dubai , the Olympic Council (OCA) of Asia said after a meeting in Macau.
“The majority of the votes are for the city of Hanoi to hold the 2019 Asian Games,” OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah told a press conference after the decision fell.
Dubai pulled out at the last minute due to “administrative reasons”, saying it wanted to focus on future bids, to leave Surabaya as Hanoi’s only rival.
Vietnam Olympic Committee Secretary General Hoang Vinh Giang expressed his satisfaction over the decision. He said that the Vietnamese government estimates the 18th Asian Games will cost some $150 million and require the construction of new sporting stadiums and an athletes’ village.
“We will build new infrastructure. Not only for the Asian Games — the government has already approved a major development plan for Hanoi for the next 10 years,” Hoang said.
“It will be big investment, big budget, new highways, new tunnels and so on,” he added.
The Asian Games features regular Olympic sports like swimming and athletics, as well as disciplines that reflect Asia’s diverse cultures.
Guangzhou in southern China held the previous Asian Games in 2010, and the next games will be held in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014. The games are usually held every four years but the organisers decided to delay the 18th games by a year for scheduling reasons.
