Asian-American Games Planned for ’89

In an effort to encourage participation in athletics by Asian-Americans, an organizing committee headed by Dr. Sammy Lee, twice an Olympic gold medalist for the United States in diving, announced plans Tuesday for the first Asian-American Games next summer in Los Angeles.

“Asian-Americans are successful in every segment of American life except that we do not supply enough athletes,” said Lee, a Korean-American from Huntington Beach who won the platform diving competition in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.

“Through the Asian-American Games, in the near future, we will supply more athletes to make the United States stronger in Olympic competition.”

Organizers estimated that the Asian-American Games, scheduled for Aug. 19-27, will attract 2,000 participants, including 1,500 athletes, from throughout the United States. Athletes are eligible if at least one grandparent is Asian.

The program includes 16 medal sports for men and 11 for women, 3 demonstration sports and competition for disabled and senior athletes. Many events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, are scheduled for East Los Angeles College. Events also are scheduled for the Sports Arena and the Industry Hills & Sheraton Resort.

Trials to select athletes for the competition here will be held May 12 in New York, Chicago, Houston, Seattle and San Francisco and in early June in Los Angeles.

Mario Machado, a Chinese-born Los Angeles broadcaster and a director of the Asian-American Games Organizing Committee, said the idea for the Games was conceived in the Bay Area by the Asian American Sports Assn. after the successful 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.