体坛英语新闻：OCA chief ambiguous about voting on IOC presidential election

NANJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sabah, the President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), snubbed media reports that he is a supporter for Germany's Thomas Bach in the IOC presidential race.

Six men have declared candidacy for the IOC's top post: Ser Miang Ng of Singapore, Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico, C.K. Wu of Chinese Taipei, Denis Oswald of Switzerland, Sergei Bubka of Ukraine and Bach. The 100-plus IOC members will vote on the successor of Jacques Rogge on Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires.

Sheikh Ahmed, who is attending the second Asian Youth Games here, said the choice of IOC members is something that should be kept "inside" the IOC house.

"There is rumors and opinions of journalists we have to respect because the media have to follow up," Sheikh Ahmed said during an interview with Xinhua.

"For me, as a member of the IOC, I will maintain my role and law to work quietly in the house of the IOC.

"But in the end, I trust IOC members will choose the best who can represent them as a leader for sport in future."

The second Asian Youth Games opened in Nanjing on Friday and will last through Aug. 24.

Sheikh Ahmed said he expects the Nanjing Games to be a success.

"Until now a lot of signals show to us that the Nanjing Games will be one of the best ever Games and will send and deliver message to the other committees that the youth games exist now officially as part of the international movement," he said.

A total of 16 sports feature at the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, up from nine at the inaugural edition in Singapore four years ago.

Sheikh Ahmed said a very limited preparatory period resulted in the small size of the first Asian Youth Games.

"In Singapore it was only the start...To help Singapore to host a multi-sport event in a very short period, we have to accept any kind of an event, any size and number of an event," said the OCA chief.

"This time we are more comfortable...Here is a real of the Youth Games."

But Sheikh Ahmed confirmed that the OCA will keep a cap on the number of sports at the Asian Youth Games in future.

"We will evaulate the second Youth Games and then decide what is the number that should be maintained for the Asian Youth Games," he said.