Incheon: Spiralling costs and rapidly increasing number of athletes, officials and media, a direct fallout of increase in the number of disciplines to an all-time high of 42 in Guangzhou pushed the Olympic Council of Asia into reducing the number of disciplines in Incheon to 36.


Indian players tackle an Iranian at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. Pic/Getty Images 

But the Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait, the President of OCA, is very clear that there will be no further reduction. He ensured that non-Olympic sports and indigenous sports from different Asian countries, including kabaddi, will continue to have their place in the quadrennial Asian Games.