Special report: Guangzhou gears up for 2010 Asian Games

China's pageant of high-profile sporting extravaganzas is set to continue next year with Guangzhou set to host to the 16th Asian Games. The event will follow hot on the heels of China's 2009 National Games and Beijing's hugely successful hosting of the 2008 Olympics.

The Asian Games will see teams from across Asia - including Japan, India, Thailand and the Philippines - converging in Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong in southern China, to compete in some 464 separate events. This will be the second time that China has played host to the event, following Beijing staging the eleventh Asian Games back in 1990.

Even though the 16th games will take place against a backdrop of international financial concern, the organizers of the 2010 event are determined that this will in no way detract from their commitment to staging 'the most important pan-Asian sporting event'.