Iraqs inspiring success in this years Asian Cup was not only a victory for the people of a country ravaged by war but also a major coup for the tournament organisers. The Asian Cup has always struggled for external recognition but the extraordinary events of the past three weeks have catapulted the tournament into a new era.

No-one in their right mind expects the Asian Cup will ever match the hype and glamour of the European Championship or the romance and skill of the Copa America but the tournament can no longer be ignored.

Iraqs victory in the face of incredible hardship and the unifying effect it had on their war-weary citizens captured the imagination of the sporting world.

It was a modern day fairytale (and it surely won’t be long before it gets the Hollywood blockbuster treatment) yet in many ways it was just the icing on the cake.

The inclusion of Australia and their English Premier League players, the increasing number of Asians plying their trade in Europe and the influence of crafty Brazilian coaches have not only raised standards but given the competition real credibility.

The Asian Cup rose from humble beginnings but it is only in the last 15 years that the event has really started to take off. The first three tournaments, in 1956, 1960 and 1964, were contested by just four countries. As recently as 1992, there were only eight countries involved but the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) realised it had to increase the number of teams if it wanted to be taken seriously.

The competition was expanded to 12 teams for the 1996 and 2000 editions, then to 16 teams for the 2004 and 2007 tournaments. While the first tournament was contested by South Korea, Israel, Hong Kong and Vietnam, todays major players include China, Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia and now Iraq.

The next tournament will be held in Qatar in 2011 and after the events of 2007, the competition just to qualify promises to fierce. The AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam believes the Asian Cup is now ready to take its place on the football calendar as a major event.

“The Asian Cup from now on will be different from what we’ve seen in the past, he told a news conference in Jakarta. In terms of organisation, in terms of popularity and in terms of standard. This is my promise to you.”

No Asian country has ever won the World Cup but it only seems like a matter of time. South Korea reached the semi-finals in 2002 and Australia made the second round in Germany last year, losing to eventual champions Italy on a dodgy penalty.

Perhaps the best example of the improving standards of Asian football is that neither of those countries made the final this time. Australia were bundled out in the quarter-finals by Japan while South Korea lost to Iraq on penalties in the semi-finals.

Yet the performances of Asias biggest and richest teams had nothing to do with this turning point in the Asian Cups history. Instead, it was the incredible success story of a team no-one thought had any chance that ultimately caught the worlds attention.

Julian Linden, Jakarta

There was no hiding the disappointment among Australia’s high-profile players when they made their first appearance at the Asian Cup at a near-empty Rajamangala stadium in Bangkok.

The Socceroos had been told their matches had been sold out, and that they could expect the sort of reception normally reserved for pop stars.

But when the players marched on to the stadium to play Oman for their first game, then Iraq in their second, it immediately became apparent that someone had been pulling their legs.

Only a few thousand people had bothered to turn up to each game and the Australians hardly turned in the sort of displays that will pack them in next time. They drew 1-1 with Oman and then lost 3-1 to Iraq, prompting an angry outburst from coach Graham Arnold.

“As far as I saw some players didn’t even want to be here,” Arnold said. “They can blame the heat and humidity as expected but this was about attitude.”

The Australians had been told that Thais are among the most fervent football fans in Asia, and they would be the headline act because so many of them play in the English Premier League, which is widely watched in Asia.

The Football Federation of Australia (FFA), which ditched Oceania for Asia in search of tougher opposition and the lure of bigger tournaments, admitted they were surprised by the paltry attendance.

“They’re big Premier League followers so we expected they would be coming out to watch Australia’s Premier League players,” said John Boultbee, Australian soccer’s head of high performance. “The players are happy with everything here… but I know they were very disappointed by the crowd.”

Julian Linden is in Bangkok covering the Asian Cup 

The players aren’t the only ones struggling to cope with the extreme weather at the Asian Cup — the international media corps are also being tested by the conditions.

The combination of scorching temperatures, humidity and wild tropical storms has provided some unexpected challenges for foreign media.

Reporters were forced to take off their shoes and roll up their trousers to wade through deep pools of water just to get into the Rajamangala stadium in Bangkok after a huge downpour caused a flash flood in the hours before Sunday’s opening match between Thailand and Iraq.

The following day, journalists were forced to run for cover after another wild storm drenched the media tribune during the closing stages of Australia’s match against Oman.

Those hacks who braved the elements to file their reports for urgent deadlines were reduced to cowering under temporary desk tables as the rain bucketed down on them.

One Australian sportswriter’s laptop computer crashed because of water damage while another’s began to crackle and hiss as water started seeping in. One well-intentioned organiser, fearing the water might cause an electrical problem, elected to turn off the power, causing some journalists to lose their reports before they had filed them and triggering a swift and colourful reaction.

Even when the rain does stay away, there is little relief as the heat and humidity turns the stadiums into saunas. Photographers and cameraman are left drenched with sweat after spending hours under the blazing sun trying to capture the action from the edges of the pitch.

Getting around some of the cities can be notoriously difficult because of the constant gridlock, prompting some of the more adventurous wordsmiths to take their lead from the locals by hitching rides on the back of motorbikes to get to their destinations on time.

Julian Linden is in Bangkok covering the Asian Cup for Reuters