Tuesday, March 29 2005 12:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today (Mar 29, 2005) permitted the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to make New Delhi's bid for the 17th Asian Games to be held in 2014.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy in New Delhi said that the bid was to be filed by the IOA backed by the Government of India.

"Unless Government backs it, the bid will not be taken seriously. Therefore, the Cabinet has given the green signal to IOA to make the best possible bid," Reddy said.

Asked where the Games would be held, he said, "New Delhi would be the venue as in 2010 it is hosting the Commonwealth Games."

For the Commonwealth Games, New Delhi would be creating and upgrading infrastructure facilities for the event, he said.

The IOA welcomed the Union Cabinet's approval to bid for the 2014 Asian Games and said it would submit it's papers within a couple of days.

"This is a great step forward for the country as it would set a base for the Olympic Games in the country," IOA President Suresh Kalmadi said from Pune.

"Since it (Asian Games) is coming in the backdrop of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, same infrastructure could be used for it," he said.

Kalmadi said that the IOA would submit it's bid to the Olympic Council of Asia within a couple of days.

"The last date to submit the bid papers is March 31. We have two days to submit all our necessary documents to the Olympic Council of Asia in Kuwait," he said.

He said that it was a giant step for the Indian sports as it would create base for Olympic sports in the country and benefit the youth.

"In the President's speech they also spoke of the bid for 2016 Olympic games, all this would create a base for the Olympic sports, besides cricket, in the country. The youth are to be benefited by this," he said.