Olympic head puts positive spin on Asiad problems

Ticket and transport confusion. Basketball players sent home for misconduct. Concerns over reports of excessive use of force by Indonesian police ahead of the Asian Games.

For Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, questions at a news conference Monday about a catalog of concerns became an opportunity to present his positive spin on the games that are being co-hosted by Jakarta and Palembang.

Sheikh Ahmad praised the Indonesian government and local organizers for stepping in on short notice when Vietnam withdrew as host. It has spent three years getting facilities and logistics ready to cater for more than 11,000 athletes in 40 sports.

He said the opening ceremony on Saturday was the best ever held in the region and its success inspired a flood of interest in the games.

And that, the Kuwaiti royal said, was why the ticket system became overwhelmed and why there were problems with shuttle buses.

Local organizers expect those issues to be resolved. Traffic was always going to be a challenge in heavily congested Jakarta.

Sheikh Ahmad addressed the issues raised by Amnesty International about reports of Indonesian police fatally shooting dozens of petty criminals in a deliberate campaign of “unnecessary and excessive” force ahead of the Asian Games. He said local authorities were best placed to manage security.

The games were secure, he said, motioning to reporters and saying “We don’t want to lose any of you.”

Four players from Japan’s men’s basketball squad were sent home after reports of their night out in an entertainment area while wearing team clothes.

Sheikh Ahmad commended the Japan Olympic Committee for acting swiftly to deal with the matter and said it should be a lesson to athletes that they have certain responsibilities as role models and ambassadors for their countries while they’re at the games.

The first 21 gold medals were awarded Sunday and competition for gold, silver and bronze continued Monday. Host Indonesia picked up both titles in mountain biking with Khoiful Mukhib winning the men’s downhill and Tiara Andini Prastika winning the women’s downhill race.

The Japanese equestrian team of Akane Kuroki, Kazuki Sado, Masanao and Shunsuke Terui combined to win the team dressage from South Korea and Thailand. And China continued to extend its lead in the medal standings with three of the four gold medals awarded on day two of the shooting competition.

Taiwan’s Yang Kun-pi equaled a world record to win the other shooting gold, scoring 48 points in the men’s trap to take gold ahead of India’s Lakshay Lakshay.

Weightlifter Ri Song-gum won North Korea’s first gold medal of the games with victory in the women’s 48-kilogram division. /