The draw results for the men's football event are displayed on a screen during the draw ceremony for the Team Sports and Gymnastics of the 16th Asian Games held in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 7, 2010. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)
Zhang Jilong (2nd R, on the stage), chairman of the Sports Committee of Olympic Council of Asia, speaks during the draw ceremony for the Team Sports and Gymnastics of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 7, 2010. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
An official holds up the draw result of men's basketball event during the draw ceremony of the Team Sports and Gymnastics of the 16th Asian Games held in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 7, 2010. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
The Draw Ceremony for Team Sports and Gymnastics of the 16th Asian Games was held at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhouon Thursday (October 7). Draws were made in eight sports, including Basketball, Water Polo, Handball, Sepaktakraw, Rugby, Football, Volleyball and Gymnastics (Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline).
Technical Delegates from Asian sports federations, Competition Directors of venue teams, delegates of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Asian countries and regions, officials of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC), Assistant Competition Directors of sport teams and the media witnessed the draws at the Games headquarters hotel.
Zhang Jilong, Chairman of the OCA Sports Committee, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech on behalf of OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah. Mr Zhang called the draw ceremony "an important milestone" in the lead-up to the Guangzhou Asian Games.
Tian Xinde, Deputy Secretary General of GAGOC, gave a progress report on the sports programme of the Games. By October 6, GAGOC had received Entry by Name Sport Entries Forms from all 45 NOCs of the OCA Family, according to Tian. He said the competition schedules of all 476 events would be finalised by mid-October.
Among the eight sports featured by Thursday's draw ceremony, Women's Water Polo and Women's Rugby will make their Asiad debut in Guangzhounext month.
Athletes across Asia have showed great enthusiasm for the team sports: 476 players of 24 teams will compete in Men's Football, while 123 players of seven teams will compete in Women's Football; 204 players of 17 teams will compete in Men's Basketball, while 84 players of seven teams will compete in Women's Basketball; 216 players of 18 teams will compete in Men's Volleyball, while 132 players of 11 teams will compete in Women's Volleyball.
