The president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has shot down hopes Australia had of competing in future Asian Games, saying he was not in favour.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al-Sabah said it was his personal opinion and had nothing to do with antipathy towards Australia, but he felt it would not work for either Asia or Oceania.

"I am not in favour of having Australia in the Asian Games," he said at a press conference on the sidelines of the Doha Asian Games.

"There are six continents and Australia is in the sixth of them. If they come to us we effectively kill the 16 other nations in Oceania.

"We have enough countries for our Games. We have to support Australia but in their continent. Of course finance is important and Australia would bring that but it is not the most important factor."

On Monday, OCA vice president Manuel Silverio was quoted by China's Xinhua news agency as saying it would be possible for Australia to join the Asian Games.

The OCA, grouping 45 Asian Olympic committees, oversees the event, which this year has athletes from 45 countries competing in 39 sports -- the biggest Asiad ever.

The Sheikh also thought it had been a mistake to allow Australia to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and compete in Asia's premier football event, the Asian Cup, for which they have qualified for the finals next year.

"With all due respect to the AFC I believe it is a mistake for them to be competing in the Asian Cup," he said.

"Obviously it is a commercial decision but it is killing other countries such as the likes of Fiji."

The Sheikh, though, did say that Australia could participate as an observer at the inaugural Asian Indoor Games in Macau next year. "

They will be a new Games so we would love to share it with others," he said. "We may allow Australia to be an observer and share a new experience but they will not be a full member."

The Sheikh's views appear to fly in the face of Silverio, his deputy.

"It's possible for Australia to take part in the Asian Games in future," he was quoted as saying Monday. "It was mentioned by some of us but has yet to be discussed officially in the OCA."

Australian Olympic Committee secretary general Craig Phillips told Xinhua they would consider any invitation positively.

"We would certainly consider the invitation in a positive manner," he was quoted as saying.

"But we would need to confer with our member sports. Some are very keen for more top level competition in Asia, others are not so keen because of links with Oceania.

"The AOC believes we can improve in sports like gymnastics, judo, wrestling and taekwondo by competing against the best in Asia," added Phillips.

Pirate Irwin
AFP