Qatar, which hosts the 15th Asian Games in Doha next year, says it would love to see India winning its bid to host the 2014 Games in Delhi.
India and South Korea are the only two nations bidding for the 2014 Games. The General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia will decide on the venue at its meeting in Doha in December.
Speaking to rediff.com, Ahmed Abdulla Al Khulaifi, deputy Director General Corporate Support, who was in Delhi to hold discussions with Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi and secretary-general Raja Randhir Singh, said Qatar would be only too happy if India wins the bid.
"India supported us [2006 Asiad bid] and, naturally, we would like to back your claim and see that India wins the bid. India and Qatar are close friends and hence we would like India to host the 2014 Asian Games," Khulaifi said.
He sought to play down the terrorist threat to the Doha Games, saying terrorism is no longer confined to a particular country.
"It has reached USA, UK and other nations as well. However, the government of Qatar is making arrangements to deal with the terrorist threat. No special fund has been allocated but this aspect is being taken care of by the rulers of Qatar," he added.
The Doha Games will have several firsts to its credit, including participation of 45 countries in 39 disciplines."
This will be the first time that the Asian Games torch would pass through all the 45 participating nations.
Asked if the torch would also go to trouble-torn Iraq, Khulaifi said the matter would be taken up with the Olympic Committee of Iraq in September.
"The relay torch would begin its journey from Doha exactly a hundred days before the Games. We have to see whether we can take the torch to Baghdad or to some other place or have a restricted token run in a confined area of the Iraqi capital. But these matters would be addressed according to the situation prevailing in Iraq," he said.
He did not rule out even skipping the Iraqi leg if the situation demands.
Over 10,000 athletes are expected to take part in the Games, from December 1 to 15, 2006.
