Shillong/Guwahati, Jan. 12: Organisers today confirmed that the Assam Rifles territory in Shillong is a strong contender to host the discipline at next month's 12th South Asian Games.

At a news conference after a meeting with the chefs de mission of all eight participating nations, SAG Shillong CEO R.K. Sharma said only a couple of issues need to be worked out, but otherwise wushu would take place at the Assam Rifles venue.

"I visited the location on Sunday and it is absolutely in a state of readiness," Sharma stated, adding that all venues would be completely ready by Friday and handed over to the charge of the organising committee by January 26. Sharma also dismissed reoports in a section of the media regarding Shillong's supposed inability to provide adequate accommodation to hundreds of athletes and team officials and reassured that the required rooms have been arranged.

Meanwhile, joint CEO and state sports secretary F.R. Kharkongor championed this edition of the tournament as "gender-equal games", saying the women's events have been added to every discipline wherever possible. This will make the 2016 Games bigger than any of the previous editions, taking the total medal events to 235.

The chefs de mission, who visited the venues in Guwahati yesterday and today, will tour all the Shillong venues tomorrow.

Sources in the Assam Police said additional security personnel were deployed with the delegation that travelled to Shillong today.