2019 Asiad should not be China's game

Cut their coats according to their cloth. That is exactly what Vietnam and China are doing on sports galas.

On April 17, Vietnam announced that it was pulling out as hosts of the 2019 Asian Games in Hanoi because of lack of preparedness and concerns that holding the multi-sport event for the first time may not be financially viable.

But Vietnam's decision to quit as host of the 18th Asian Games should not come as a big surprise given its socio-economic situation. The estimated cost of $150 million to host of the 2019 Asiad in Hanoi may have been less than previous ones. But the fact is that the country of 90 million people just started recovering from the global financial crisis last year, with its GDP increasing by 5.42 percent to about $170 billion. Besides, Vietnam has been battling with inflation, with its consumer price index once exceeding 18 percent in 2011.