Guangzhou City will submit its application for hosting the 2010 Asian Games at the end of this month, the Southern Metropolitan News said Thursday (Mar. 18).

A Guangzhou delegation would head for Kuwait later this month to hand in their presentations to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the paper said.

The OCA is expected to send delegations to inspect facilities in Guangzhou in mid April and the final decision for host city will be announced in June.

Citizens have raised a large number of suggestions on how to make the city's bid successful. Some suggested to erect Asiad-related sculptures in different parts of the city. Some argue that the city should have an English language daily newspaper.

Guangzhou has never hosted an international sports event but held the Chinese National Games in 2001.

Officials said the current facilities updated would be sufficient for an Asian Games. The city plans to build nine to 10 new gyms and stadiums if it is chosen to host the 2010 event.

Busan in South Korea hosted the 2002 Asiad and Qatar's Doha will stage the event in 2006.

Guangzhou's bid was initiated by Hu Shusen, principal of Guangzhou Weilun Sports School, and more than 20 other deputies to the city's people's congress in 2002.

Hu said he would table more proposals on the bid and how to make a 2010 Asian Games successful to the annual meeting of the city's people's congress later this month.

Editor: Donald