Chess has finally arrived at the Asian Games and cricket could well be there by the time the 2006 Doha Games — the first-ever in the Middle East — gets going. Chess was included in the list of 33 disciplines of the Doha Games on Tuesday following persistent efforts of FIDE (world chess body) and chess-playing Asian countries. Confirming the news from Jodhpur, a delighted PT Ummer Koya, Vice-President, FIDE, and General Secretary of All India Chess Federation (AICF) said, ‘‘we are all prepared to win the gold on our debut at the Asian Games.’’ But while chess made the list, the debate over cricket still continues. Ayman Jada, head of the media and marketing department of the Games Organising Committee, was quoted in Wednesday’s Doha daily Gulf Times as saying that the organisers were waiting for the game to be proposed by a member country so that Qatar could second it. ‘‘No country has approached us after we initially sounded the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) about our willingness to include cricket because it is immensely popular in the subcontinent and also with the expatriates in Doha,’’ said Jada. ‘‘But the response has been poor so far and not a single country has approached us on the offer.’’ Chess moves into Asiad, cricket could be the next But Jada didn’t rule out the inclusion of cricket in the schedule at a later date. ‘‘The OCA will meet next year and hopefully we will be able to do the needful.’’ When contacted by The Indian Express, President of Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) Jagmohan Dalmiya said, ‘‘The subject is being dealt with by the International Cricket Council (ICC). I’m not to much informed about the issue.’’ While cricket awaits its turn, chess officials in India are delighted over the development and sound sure of striking gold. Given the presence of powerhouses like China, the first-ever Asiad hunt for a gold in chess will surely ensure a fierce contest. Incidentally, India also finished a close-second to China at the Asian Team Chess in Jodhpur today but could give a tough time to the favourites during the Asiad. ‘‘We’ve got three more years to prepare, we have bright talents at our disposal,’’ stressed a confident Koya. AICF’s build-up to the Asian Games will include continuous training programme for its team. Besides chess, the other sport joining the list of games for the Doha Asiad is triathlon.The Doha Games will begin December 1, 2006 and extend for over two weeks.
