With six days to go before the start of the 15th Asian Games, Doha is under pressure to produce an event that lives up to its billing - "The Games of Your Life".

Flags of Asian nations wave in the square in front of Asian Games Doha media centre.With six days to go before the start of the 15th Asian Games, Doha is under pressure to produce an event that lives up to its billing - "The Games of Your Life".[Xinhua]

This isn't new, all major sporting events have felt the same pressure as the days count down. The Athens Olympics was widely jeered and criticized prior to its start due to venue construction delays, but the organizers finally managed to deliver a Games described as "unforgettable, dream" by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge.

The Asian Games, the second largest sports spectacle after the summer Olympic Games, are held every four years, this time with around 13,600 athletes representing 45 countries and regions in 39 different sports from December 1 to 15.

The issues facing the Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee ( DAGOC) suggests that more efforts are needed if the gas-rich Gulf country ever hopes to hold another event of the magnitude of Athens 2004.

The accommodation issue has triggered wide concerns as teams were asked to review their numbers in the hope that the pressure will be relieved by athletes not attending.

Usual fees for accommodation had been waivered and the accommodation bill was being absorbed by the country of Qatar, partly resulting in the number of athletes far exceeding the 10, 500-bed capacity of the 500 million-US-dollar athletes' village.

"We have to squeeze more beds into rooms in the athletes' village," a DAGOC staff told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

"On average, three athletes share one room. Even some senior officials of the participating delegations have to share rooms, which never happened in previous Asian Games," she added.

If there is no space for athletes, what happens to traveling fans?

Although local media reported that it was a direct policy of DAGOC not to encourage overseas spectators to attend the Games amid the pressure on accommodation, three cruise ships anchored at Doha Port are now ready to accommodate visitors.

With perhaps only a handful of fans attending from outside the country, however, the possibility of many events being played in empty arenas looms large indeed.

All large events live and die on their ability to move large amounts of spectators, competitors and officials to and from venues and Doha will be no different.

There is still time, but DAGOC must know that the pressure is on to get Doha ready for the Games of its life.

The world will be watching.