PTI   

New Delhi, Jul 25: The Indian Olympic Association on Tuesday claimed that the country was almost certain to host the 2014 Asian Games as most of the countries had expressed confidence in their bid.

India had won the confidence of most of the member countries of the Olympic Council of Asia and as Korea had already hosted the 2002 Games, it left the field clear for the country, IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh said today.

"India had successfully hosted the 1982 Games and has every right to host the mega event after 32 years," Singh was quoted as saying in a press release.

As New Delhi is already preparing for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the infrastructure would be in place for the 17th Asian Games to be held four years later.

The 15th edition of the mega event will be held in Doha, Qatar, this December, while the next edition has been allotted to Guangzhou, China, in 2010.

The final decision on the venue of the 2014 Asian Games will be taken at the 26th General Assembly of the OCA in Kuwait in July next year.

Singh, who is also the Vice-President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said Delhi was gearing up for the 2010 event which would go a long way in making India a strong sporting nation.

He also said that the second Afro-Asian Games would be staged in Algiers, Algeria, next year.

Referring to the inaugural edition in Hyderabad in 2003, he said this event was aimed at providing exposure to the athletes from two continents.