One terror-hit country's loss, another's gain

Guwahati, Jun 20 (UNI) Where the Lebanese government feared to tread, the Asom government came forward.

Terror threats have forced the Lebanese government to forsake the chance of hosting international sporting events, but the government of the strife-torn Northeastern state of Asom is geared up to welcome international athletes with the promise of total safety.

Lebanese capital of Beirut was the first choice for the second leg of the Asian Grand Prix, scheduled for next Saturday. But the prevailing war-like situation in the country deprived the country of the event.

Ironically, the alternative choice of venue was Guwahati in Asom, a state scarred by violence.

Violence could be the order of the day in Asom and the entire North East, but the firmness of the government to host the day-long event safely has ensured that the city won the bid.

Lebanon also lost the opportunity of hosting the Asian Athletic Championship, from July 29 to August two, after it expressed its inability to provide security to the participants.

Lebanese Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Fatfat said last week that the organising committee had faced organisational obstacles as some of the participating countries were hesitant to travel to Lebanon in prevailing circumstances.

In fact, newspaper reports suggested that the Lebanese government had notified the Asian Athletics Association, its inability to guarantee the security of all the championship's participants.

But the situation at the government front was the reverse in Asom.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi himself had discussed the security aspects with the organizing body, the Assam Athletics Association, though the state government was not a host of the event.

Mr Gogoi had said, '' The security will be foolproof. '' The state government has reasons to be confident as it had hosted the 33rd National Games without a hitch in February under a militant threat to disrupt the Games.

The state would be following the National Games security model for ensuring the safety of the over 200 international athletes from 20 countries, participating in the second leg.

With more than a dozen blasts since January in the city, security of the participants was an uphill task for the government.

But its forces were confident of ensuring a smooth run and not been bogged down by any militant threat.

Of course, the militants had not threatened against holding the Grand Prix leg, but blasts and killings were regular affairs in the state, which could pose an indirect threat to the safety of the participants.

UNI