The preparation for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou has been completed, said Xu Ruisheng, deputy secretary general of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC) at a press conference here on Wednesday.

"After six years of hard work, I am pleased to announce that the preparatory work of the 16th Asian Games has been completed," said Xu, also the vice mayor of Guangzhou.

According to Xu, all the Games' 53 competition venues and 17 independent training venues have passed examinations on their functionality and have been opened for training since Nov. 5, while the Sport Infromation Center is ready to answer NOCs' inquiry.

The competition schedule and training programme has been confirmed while the draws of team sports have been completed, he added.

The Games services are fully prepared, such as customs clearance, arrival and departure services, accreditation, catering, transport, accommodation and security.

The Asian Games torch, "The Tide", returned to Guangzhou on Nov. 5 after completing the relay in Beijing, Harbin, Changchun, Haiyang and 20 cities of Guangdong Province.

The preparation of the Asian Games opening ceremony has also been finished. "We conducted three rehearsals on Nov. 4, 6 and 8," said Xu. "'Water' will be a key element of the opening ceremony."

Xu said the details of the opening ceremony will be further revealed in a special press conference.

The Asian Games kicks off on Nov. 12. During the 15-day Games, a total of 10,156 athletes from 45 Asian countries and regions will compete in 476 events in 42 sports.

(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2010)