Organisers of the 16th Asian Games expect to finalise the full competition schedule this week. With 476 events in 42 sports, and 53 competition venues hosting the Games, the mammoth task of putting together the daily schedule is almost complete. The fourth meeting of the Competition Management Committee for the 16th Asian Games was held recently at the Guangzhou Chateau Star River Hotel, and detailed preparations on competition management were provided by Tian Xinde, Deputy Secretary General of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC).

He said that the full competition schedule for the 476 events in 42 sports was near completion, and should be finalised before Saturday, October 30.

Yang Shu'an, Vice President of GAGOC, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China and Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, said the number of events in the Guangzhou Asian Games was 1.5 times greater than for the Beijing Olympics, and that the number of venues was 1.3 times higher.

The combined number of athletes and technical officials was more than for the Beijing Olympic Games, so compared to the Beijing Olympics the competition management was more difficult, added Yang, who served as Executive Vice President of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.

All venues will be open for training from November 5 - one week before the Opening Ceremony on November 12.

The 42 sports comprise the 28 Olympic sports from the programme of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, plus 14 non-Olympic sports, several of which will be making their Asian Games debut in Guangzhou such as cricket, dragon boat racing and dance sport.