Chengdu Weiqi Center

Asian OLympic games 2010 and weiqi

Wei Qi VS. Chess
2010 Guangzhou Asian Games

WeiQi population:50 millon
Country: mainly in China, Japan, and Korean

Chinese Chess: 2 billon
Country: China, even more popular than Weiqi;
        Also popular in other countries with big chinese population

Chess: 8 billon
Country: most popular game among the three, played in alomist every
country, most popular in westen countries.

Chess defeated Weiqi to be included in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games
The recently concluded 26th OCA General Assembly in Kuwait has decided
to include chess and cricket as the two new events in the 2010 Asian
Games in Guangzhou. Earlier the General Administration of Sports of
China had ratified the application by the Guangzhou Asian Games
Organising Committee of adding weiqi, dragon boat race, and roller
sport to the 2010 guangzhou asian games. Weiqi in the Asian Games
became a hot topic among weiqi fans all around the country. But on the
26th OCA General Assembly only dragon boat race was approved by the
OCA. Weiqi and roller sports are replaced by chess and cricket. The
OCA claimed that this decision is based on weiqi and roller sport not
being the IOC-recognized sports. Chinese media and weiqi fans guess
that the real reason why the OCA dicided to put chess and cricket
(which India are quite strong in both ) in the 2010 Asian Games in
guangzhou is to make some compensation to India after new deli lost
the bid for the 2014 Asian Games. however, the OCA official explained
that weiqi is less popular than chess in Asia and weiqi is not so
"dramatic" for the audiences. India media show that they believe this
decision is good for India to win more gold metals in the 2010 Asian
Games.
Max and Chen