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Even though concerns are being raised over the financial burden that falls on potential host cities for the Asian Games, officials from the Olympic Council of Asia are insisting the competition is irreplaceable.
Nearly 10,000 athletes are competing across 42 sports in Incheon, South Korea. Thousands of coaches, officials and journalists are also at the ongoing Asian games.
But behind the scenes, the games' high costs have caused unease.
Some critics have voiced their doubts over the necessity of a bigger and more expensive Asian Games. They also say the Olympics are enough.
Wei Jizhong, an honorary vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia, believes the Olympic Games are not the most helpful of events for nations that are lagging behind in sports development.
"The Olympic games only promote the sports development of the greatest sporting nations. Meanwhile, it hardly promotes sports in those nations who appear weak at sports because these nations can't win any medals at the Olympics. Without medals, the government is unlikely to render support."
The sports industry in developing nations typically rely on government support. The decision whether to offer this support is often tied to winning medals.
Wei says the 2010 Asian games are a good example of the value of this Olympic alternative.
"The key to the Asian games success lies in a much wider distribution of medals. Take the 2010 Asian games in Guangzhou as an example: over 80 percent of 45 participating nations earned at least a single medal. This is the best way to help foster sports development in developing nations."
Understanding the financial burden of hosting the world's second-biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics, Wei admitted that he and his team are now considering a cost effective scheme to avoid potential waste like empty stadiums and high debt.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, President of Olympic Council of Asia, expressed his belief there's another positive side of the games that deserves more public attention.
"The big expenditures for hosting the Asian games is a practical issue which demands resolutions following government consultations. I wish expenditure was not a criteria for assessing whether an Asian games was a success or not. The Asian games not only leave behind sporting venues and infrastructure, but a spirit of sports too."
