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Aussie switch to Asia ruled out

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Asian Olympic chief Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said on Monday that adding sporting powerhouse Australia to the region would boost the quality of competition but also damage Oceania.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) president told reporters at the Asian Games in Guangzhou that involving Australia, sixth in the medals table at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, would "increase our level of sport and level of results".

But he said such a move would badly damage Oceania.

"It's our job to keep stability for the Olympic movement," the president said.

"It's not only what the OCA will do but also what we have to do for other continents and how we can cooperate as a movement," he said.

The OCA, a grouping of 45 Asian Olympic committees, oversees the Asian Games, which features 42 sports in its 16th edition in southern China.

The Australian Olympic Committee has previously been quoted as saying some of its member sports were keen for tougher competition outside Oceania.

There is a precedent for such a move. In 2006, Football Federation Australia dumped Oceania to join the Asian Football Confederation.