After eight years of preparation, organisers of the Asian Games in Bangkok are within a few hours of discovering if their efforts have succeeded.

The Games have been wracked by problems ranging from allegations of political interference to the economic crisis in Asia.

Sunday's opening ceremony will be the start of two weeks of competition involving 41countries which represent more than half the world's population.

Since Bangkok was awarded the 1998 Games, concerns have been raised over the country and the city's ability to stage such a major sporting event.

In terms of the number of athletes and the number of sports the Games rival the Olympics, but without the massive television money to underwrite the event.

Forty-one countries take part

Throughout the preparations the Games have been behind schedule and adrift of financial targets.

Political infighting and a change of government has been blamed for many of the problems. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which oversees the Games, have been forced to step in on several occasions.

The OCA brought in the same international marketing company which promotes the Olympics and last year the president of the OCA, Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah, helped broker a deal with the organisers to allow Thailand to keep the Games and not move it to another Asian city.

The deputy prime minister, Bichai Rattakul, was appointed president of the organising committee, but with the economic crisis worsening the Games' budget was reduced even further, causing delays amongst other things to the building of a prestigious express road linking the three main sporting centres.

This has been opened with only days to spare, but its completion is unlikely to solve Bangkok's notorious traffic problem.

The organisers hope that the Games will break even financially, even though they have had disappointing returns from marketing and licensing arrangements.

This, though, will ensure that these Games will not be swamped by the sort of over commercialisation that marred the Atlanta Olympics.