Abbreviation | Asiad |
---|---|
Motto | Ever Onward |
First event | 1951 Asian Games, New Delhi, India |
Occur every | Four years |
Last event | 2022 Asian Games, Hangzhou, China |
Next event | 2026 Asian Games, Aichi and Nagoya, Japan |
Purpose | Multi-sport event for nations in Asia |
President | Raja Randhir Singh |
Olympic Games |
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Main topics |
Games |
Regional games |
Defunct games |
The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia. [1] The Games were regulated by Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India in 1951, until the 1978 Games. [2] Since the 1982 Games, they have been organized by the Olympic Council of Asia, after the breakup of the Asian Games Federation. [3] The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee and are the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. [4]
Nine nations have hosted the Asian Games. Forty-six nations have participated in the Games, including Israel, which was excluded from the Games after its last participation in 1974. The last edition of the Games was held in Hangzhou, China, from 23 September to 8 October 2023.
Since 2010, it has been common for the host of the Asian Games to host the Asian Para Games held shortly after the end of the Games. This event is exclusive to athletes with disabilities, just like Paralympic Games. But unlike the Paralympics where the host city's contract mentions the holding of both events, the case of Asia does not mention the mandatory holding of both. Instead, the exclusion of the Asian Para Games from the Asian Games host city's contract means that both events run independently from one other, and may lead to occasions in the future when the two events are held in different cities and countries.
The Far Eastern Championship Games existed previous to the Asian Games, the former mooted in 1912 for a location set between Japan, the Philippines, and China. The inaugural Far Eastern Games were held in Manila in 1913 with 6 participating nations. There were ten Far Eastern Games held by 1934. The second Sino-Japanese War in 1934, and Japan's insistence on including the Manchu Empire as a competitor nation in the Games, caused China to announce its withdrawal from participation. The Far Eastern Games scheduled for 1938 were cancelled. The organization was eventually discontinued. [5]
After World War II, several areas in Asia became sovereign states. Many of these countries sought to exhibit Asian prowess without violence. At the London 1948 Summer Olympics, a conversation started between China and the Philippines to restore the idea of the Far Eastern Games. Guru Dutt Sondhi, the Indian International Olympic Committee representative, believed that the restoration of the Far Eastern Games would sufficiently display the spirit of unity and level of achievement taking place in Asian sports. He proposed the idea of a new competition – which came to be the Asian Games. The Asian Athletic Federation would eventually be formed. A preparatory committee was set up to draft the charter for this new body. On 13 February 1949, the Asian Athletic Federation was formally inaugurated in New Delhi, announced as the inaugural host city to be held in 1950. [6] [7]
In 1962, the Games were hit by several crises. The host country Indonesia refused to permit Israel and Taiwan to participate due to political recognition issues. The IOC terminated its sponsorship of the Games and terminated Indonesia's membership in the IOC. [8] The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), [9] International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF), and the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) also removed their recognition of the Games. [10] [11]
South Korea renounced its plan to host the 1970 Asian Games on the grounds of a national security crisis; the main reason was due to a financial crisis. The previous host, Thailand, would host the Games in Bangkok using funds transferred from South Korea. [12] Japan was asked to host but declined the opportunity as they were already committed to Expo '70 in Osaka. [13] This edition marked the Games' inaugural television broadcasting, worldwide. [14] In Tehran, in 1974, the Games formally recognized the participation of China, North Korea, and Mongolia. Israel was allowed to participate despite the opposition from the Arab world, while Taiwan was permitted to continue taking part (as "Chinese Taipei") although its status was abolished in a general meeting on 16 November 1973 by the Games Federation. [15]
Before the 1978 Games, Pakistan retracted its plan to host the 1975 Games due to a financial crisis and political issues. [16] Thailand offered to host and the Games were held in Bangkok. As in 1962, Taiwan and Israel refused participation by the Games Federation, amid political issues and security fears. [17] Several governing bodies protested the ban. The International Olympic Committee threatened to bar the participating athletes from the 1980 Summer Olympics. [18] Several nations withdrew before the Games opening. [19]
These events led the National Olympic Committees in Asia to revise the constitution of the Asian Games Federation. The Olympic Council of Asia was created in November 1981, excluding Israel and Taiwan. [20] India was scheduled to host in 1982 and the OCA decided to maintain the old AGF timetable. The OCA formally started to supervise the Games starting with the 1986 Asian Games scheduled for Seoul, South Korea. [21] In the 1990 Asian Games held in Beijing, Taiwan (Republic of China) was re-admitted, under pressure by the People's Republic of China to compete as Chinese Taipei. [22]
The 1994 Games held in Hiroshima included the inaugural participation of the former 5 republics of the Soviet Union who were part of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It was also the first edition of the Games held in a host country outside its capital city. [23] However, Iraq was suspended from the Games due to the 1990 Persian Gulf War. North Korea boycotted the Games due to political issues with the host country. The Games were hampered during the opening ceremony due to a heart attack that killed Nareshkumar Adhikari, the chief of the Nepalese delegation. [24]
The 1998 Games marked the fourth time the Games were held in Bangkok, Thailand. This time the city participated in a bidding process. The opening ceremony was on 6 December; the previous three were on 9 December. King Bhumibol Adulyadej opened the Games; the closing ceremony was on 20 December (the same date as all the previous games hosted by Thailand).
The Asian Games Movement uses symbols to represent the ideals embodied in the Asian Games charter. The Asian Games motto is "Ever Onward" which was designed and proposed by Guru Dutt Sondhi upon the creation of the Asian Games Federation in 1949. The Asian Games symbol is a bright sun in red with 16 rays and a white circle in the middle of its disc which represents the ever glimmering and warm spirit of the Asian people.
Since the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, India, the Asian Games have had a mascot, usually an animal native to the area or occasionally human figures representing the cultural heritage.
All 45 members affiliated with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) are eligible to participate in the Games.
According to membership in the OCA, transcontinental Kazakhstan is an Asian country and could participate in the Asian Games but this right could not apply to Egypt as the country had 6% of the territory on Sinai, participating in the African Games instead. Turkey and Russia/Soviet Union — whose major geographical parts are located in the Asian continent — participate in the European Games rather than the Asian Games. Similarly, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Cyprus, and Armenia are mostly located in Asia but participate in the European Games instead of the Asian Games.
In history, 46 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have sent competitors to the Games. Israel has been excluded from the Games since 1976, the reason cited as being due to security reasons. [25] Israel requested to participate in the 1982 Games, but the request was rejected by the organizers due to the Munich massacre. [26] Israel is now a member of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and competes at the European Games.
Taiwan, Palestine, Hong Kong, and Macau participate in the Asian Games according to membership in OCA. Due to its continuing ambiguous political status, Taiwan has participated in the Games under the flag of Chinese Taipei since 1990. Macau since 1990 has been allowed to compete as one of the NOCs in the Asian Games, despite not being recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for participation in the Olympic Games.
In 2007, the President of OCA, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, rejected the proposal to allow Australia to participate in the Games. He stated that while Australia would add good value to the Asian Games, it would be unfair to the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC). [27] Being members of ONOC, Australia and New Zealand have participated in the Pacific Games since 2015. This motion was mooted again in 2017 after Australia participated in the 2017 Asian Winter Games as they are in discussions to become a full Asian Games member shortly. [28] However, the Australian Olympic Committee announced that Australia would be allowed a small contingent of athletes for the 2022 Games, as long as the qualification for Summer Olympics events such as basketball and volleyball are through the Asia-Pacific region. [29]
There are only seven countries, namely India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Thailand, that have competed in all editions of the games.
Edition | Year | Host | Games dates / Opened by [a] | Countries | Competitors | Sports | Events | Top-ranked team | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1951 | New Delhi | 4–11 March 1951 President Rajendra Prasad | 11 | 489 | 6 | 57 | Japan (JPN) | [30] |
2 | 1954 | Manila | 1–9 May 1954 President Ramon Magsaysay | 18 | 970 | 8 | 76 | [31] | |
3 | 1958 | Tokyo | 24 May – 1 June 1958 Emperor Hirohito | 16 | 1,820 | 13 | 97 | [32] | |
4 | 1962 | Jakarta | 24 August – 4 September 1962 President Sukarno | 12 | 1,460 | 13 | 88 | [33] | |
5 | 1966 | Bangkok | 9–20 December 1966 King Bhumibol Adulyadej | 16 | 1,945 | 14 | 143 | [34] | |
6 | 1970 | Bangkok | 9–20 December 1970 King Bhumibol Adulyadej | 18 | 2,400 | 13 | 135 | [35] | |
7 | 1974 | Tehran | 1–16 September 1974 Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi | 19 | 3,010 | 16 | 202 | [36] | |
8 | 1978 | Bangkok | 9–20 December 1978 King Bhumibol Adulyadej | 3,842 | 19 | 201 | [37] | ||
9 | 1982 | New Delhi | 19 November – 4 December 1982 President Zail Singh | 23 | 3,411 | 21 | 147 | China (CHN) | [38] |
10 | 1986 | Seoul | 20 September – 2 October 1986 President Chun Doo-hwan | 22 | 4,839 | 25 | 270 | [39] | |
11 | 1990 | Beijing | 22 September – 7 October 1990 President Yang Shangkun | 31 | 6,122 | 27 | 310 | [40] | |
12 | 1994 | Hiroshima | 2–16 October 1994 Emperor Akihito | 42 | 6,828 | 34 | 338 | [41] | |
13 | 1998 | Bangkok | 6–20 December 1998 King Bhumibol Adulyadej | 41 | 6,554 | 36 | 377 | [42] | |
14 | 2002 | Busan | 29 September – 14 October 2002 President Kim Dae-jung | 44 | 7,711 | 38 | 419 | [43] | |
15 | 2006 | Doha | 1–15 December 2006 Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani | 45 | 9,520 | 39 | 424 | [44] | |
16 | 2010 | Guangzhou | 12–27 November 2010 Premier Wen Jiabao [b] | 9,704 | 42 | 476 | [45] | ||
17 | 2014 | Incheon | 19 September – 4 October 2014 President Park Geun-hye | 9,501 | 37 | 439 | [46] | ||
18 | 2018 | Jakarta and Palembang | 18 August – 2 September 2018 President Joko Widodo | 11,300 | 46 | 465 | [47] | ||
19 | 2022 | Hangzhou | 23 September – 8 October 2023 [c] President Xi Jinping | 11,935 | 40 | 481 | [48] | ||
20 | 2026 | Aichi and Nagoya | 19 September – 4 October 2026 Emperor Naruhito (expected) | Future event | 42 | Future event | |||
21 | 2030 | Doha | Future event | ||||||
22 | 2034 | Riyadh |
45 nations whose NOCs are recognized by the OCA compete at the Asian Games. [49]
The historical average for the edition of events by the edition of the Asian Games is nearly 260 events with nearly 24 sports by edition. The last edition held in Hangzhou, China was the edition with the largest number of events when 481 finals in 40 sports were held. Until the 2018 edition, each host country was allowed to set up the program respecting their local demands, which led to a dizzying growth of the event. However, this flexibility rule ruled out the entry of some Olympic sports such as the modern pentathlon and triathlon of the programs of some editions between 1986 and 2006. This flexibility also increased the number of athletes participating in each edition. However, it forced the event to be massive, as there was no calculation of athlete quotas per NOC. To avoid gigantism, OCA established a new policy to be applied since the 2018 Asian Games which limited the number of sports to be played at the Games to 40. This new rule is by the Olympic program for the subsequent edition of the Summer Olympic Games and if there is any prior change, the entity will necessarily follow it. However, each region that makes up the body can nominate a regional sport according to its demands. Between one to two extra sports could also be included due to the local demands. [50] [51]
Key: = Discontinued
|
|
Sport | Disciplines | Years |
---|---|---|
Aquatics | Artistic Swimming | Since 1994 |
Diving | All | |
Marathon swimming | Since 2022 | |
Swimming | All | |
Water polo | All | |
Baseball | Baseball | Since 1994 |
Softball | Since 1990 | |
Basketball | Basketball | All |
3x3 basketball | Since 2018 | |
Board games | Chess | 2006–2010, since 2022 |
Contract bridge | Since 2018 | |
Go | 2010, since 2022 | |
Xiangqi | 2010, since 2022 | |
Canoeing | Slalom canoeing | Since 2010 |
Sprint canoeing | Since 1990 | |
Cycling | BMX racing | Since 2010 |
Mountain biking | 1998–2002, since 2010 | |
Road cycling | 1951, since 1958 | |
Track cycling | 1951, 1958, since 1966 | |
Gymnastics | Artistic gymnastics | Since 1974 |
Rhythmic gymnastics | Since 1994 | |
Trampoline | Since 2006 | |
Martial arts | Pencak silat | 2018 only |
Sambo | 2018 only | |
Roller sports | Artistic roller skating | 2010, since 2022 |
Inline freestyle skating | Since 2022 | |
Roller speed skating | 2010, since 2018 | |
Skateboarding | Since 2018 | |
Rugby union | Rugby union | 1998–2002 |
Rugby sevens | Since 1998 | |
Tennis | Tennis | 1958–1966, since 1974 |
Soft tennis | Since 1994 | |
Volleyball | Volleyball | Since 1958 |
Nine-a-side volleyball | 1958–1962 | |
Beach volleyball | Since 1998 |
Of the 46 National Olympic Committees participating throughout the history of the Games, 43 have won at least a single medal in the competition, leaving three National Olympic Committees without a medal: Bhutan, Maldives, and Timor-Leste yet to win a single medal. 38 National Olympic Committees have won at least one gold medal (only Japan and India have done so at every Asian Games), while Japan and China became the only two NOCs in history to emerge as the first places at the Medal Tables. [52]
In the 2022 Games, India became the fourth nation in history after Japan, China, and South Korea to cross the 100-medal mark in one edition. [53] [54] China, together with Japan and South Korea became the first three countries to cross the overall 200-medal mark in one edition during the 1986 Asian Games. [55] At the 2022 Games, China became the first NOC to surpass the threshold of 100 gold medals, 200 gold medals, 300 overall medals and 400 overall medals in a single edition. [56] [57] [58]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | China | 1,674 | 1,105 | 791 | 3,570 |
2 | Japan | 1,084 | 1,104 | 1,054 | 3,242 |
3 | South Korea | 787 | 722 | 916 | 2,425 |
4 | Iran | 192 | 202 | 217 | 611 |
5 | India | 183 | 239 | 357 | 779 |
6 | Kazakhstan | 165 | 180 | 292 | 637 |
7 | Thailand | 144 | 189 | 311 | 644 |
8 | North Korea | 121 | 161 | 188 | 470 |
9 | Chinese Taipei | 118 | 164 | 304 | 586 |
10 | Uzbekistan | 105 | 138 | 171 | 414 |
Totals (10 entries) | 4,573 | 4,204 | 4,601 | 13,378 |
The Most Valuable Player or MVP award was introduced in the 1998 Games in Bangkok, Thailand. The award was originally awarded to one individual. During the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, the Games started awarding a male and a female athlete separately. [59]
Year | Athlete | Country | Sport | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male | Female | ||||
1998 | Koji Ito | Not awarded | Japan | Athletics | [60] |
2002 | Kosuke Kitajima | Japan | Swimming | [60] | |
2006 | Park Tae-hwan | South Korea | [61] | ||
2010 | Lin Dan | China | Badminton | [62] | |
2014 | Kosuke Hagino | Japan | Swimming | [63] | |
2018 | Not awarded | Rikako Ikee | Japan | [64] | |
2022 | Qin Haiyang | Zhang Yufei | China | [65] |
On 8 November 2012, the OCA decided at its 31st General Assembly in Macau to create a special multi-sport event called the Asian Games Centennial Festival in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Oriental Games, now known as the Far Eastern Championship Games. [66] OCA awarded the Philippines the hosting rights as it was also the host 100 years previous. The event was originally scheduled to be held in Boracay, Malay, Aklan from 27 to 29 November 2013 but due to the events surrounding Typhoon Haiyan, it was moved to January 2014. [67]
The 2002 Asian Games, officially known as the XIV Asian Games and also known as Busan 2002 (부산2002), were an international multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Due to schedule impediments the football tournament started two days before the opening ceremony.
The National Games of the People's Republic of China is the highest-level comprehensive multi-sport event of China. It is hosted by the General Administration of Sport of China. The games is held every four years, usually in the summer or autumn of the year after the Summer Olympics.
The 7th Asian Games, also known as Tehran 1974, were held from 1 to 16 September 1974 in Tehran, Iran. The Aryamehr Sports Complex was built for the Games. This marked the first time the Asian Games were hosted in the Middle East. Tehran, the capital of Iran, played host to 3,010 athletes coming from 25 countries/NOCs, the highest number of participants since the inception of the Games.
The 1986 Asian Games, officially known as the 10th Asian Games and the X Asiad and commonly known as Seoul 1986, were held from 20 September to 5 October 1986, in Seoul, South Korea. The venues and facilities of the 10th Asiad were the same venues and facilities that would be used in the 1988 Summer Olympics, as it was considered a test event.
The 1990 Asian Games, also known as the XI Asiad and the 11th Asian Games (第十一届亚洲运动会) or simply Beijing 1990 (北京1990), were held from September 22 to October 7, 1990, in Beijing, China. This was the first Asian Games held in China.
The 2010 Asian Games (2010年亚洲运动会), officially known as the XVI Asian Games (第十六届亚洲运动会) and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (广州2010), were a regional multi-sport event held from November 12 to 27, 2010 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It was the second time China hosted the Asian Games, with the first one being Asian Games 1990 in Beijing.
The 2014 Asian Games, officially known as the 17th Asian Games and also known as Incheon 2014 (인천2014), was a pan-Asian multi-sport event held from 19 September to 4 October 2014 in Incheon, South Korea.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees. Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was elected as President of the OCA on 8 July 2023. However, on 30 July 2023, the International Olympic Committee asked Randhir Singh, who was the acting president at the time, to continue as the Acting President of the OCA while the IOC investigated the OCA presidential election of 2023. On 13 October 2023, the IOC ethics committee asked the OCA to annul its 2023 elections due to Talal’s candidacy not fulfilling the eligibility conditions defined by the OCA Constitution and election interference by his brother Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.
The Sports and Olympic Committee of Macau, China, is the National Olympic Committee of Macau and is responsible for organizing the region's participation in international sporting events. It is officially recognised as a National Olympic Committee by regional Olympic Committees, but not by the International Olympic Committee.
The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games is a pancontinental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. It is organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and consists of Indoor and martial arts events with TV broadcasting potential, some of which were not contested at the Asian Games and Asian Winter Games Programs and are not Olympic sports.
Pakistan is a member of the South Asian Zone of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), has participated in the Asian Games since their second edition in 1954. The Pakistan Olympic Association, established in 1948, and recognised in the same year by the International Olympic Committee, is the National Olympic Committee for Pakistan.
The Philippines is a member of the South East Asian Zone of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), and has participated in the Asian Games since their inception in 1951. The Philippine Olympic Committee, established in 1911, and recognized in 1929 by the International Olympic Committee, is the National Olympic Committee for Philippines.
The 2010 Asian Games opening ceremony officially began at 8:00pm China Standard Time (UTC+8) on November 12, 2010. The ceremony took place along the Pearl River on Haixinsha Island, mark it the first time in history that an Asian Games ceremony was held outside the main Games stadium. In front of 30,000 spectators, it lasted four hours, featured about 6,000 performers, with at least 40,000 of fireworks. The ceremony was directed and choreographed by Chen Weiya (陈维亚), who was assistant director to Zhang Yimou in 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony and was filmed by Guangzhou Asian Games Broadcasting (GAB).
The 2002 Asian Games was a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan was the second South Korean city to host the Games, after Seoul in 1986. A total of 6,572 athletes—4,605 men and 1,967 women—from 44 Asian National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 38 sports divided into 419 events. The number of competing athletes was higher than the 1998 Asian Games, in which 6,544 athletes from 41 NOCs participated. It was the first time in the history of the Asian Games that all 44 member nations of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) participated in the Games. Afghanistan returned after the fall of the Taliban government in the midst of ongoing war; East Timor, newest member of the OCA made its debut; and North Korea competed for the first time in an international sporting event hosted by South Korea. Both nations marched together at the opening ceremony with a Korean Unification Flag depicting the Korean Peninsula as United Korea.
The 2017 Asian Winter Games (2017アジア冬季競技大会), also known as Sapporo 2017 (札幌2017), was a continental winter multi sport events and the 8th edition of the Asian Winter Games. They were held from February 19 to 26, 2017 in Sapporo and Obihiro in Hokkaido, Japan.
The 2022 Asian Games (2022年亚洲运动会), officially the 19th Asian Games (第十九届亚洲运动会) and also known as Hangzhou 2022 (杭州2022), were a continental multi-sport event which was held from 23 September to 8 October 2023 in Hangzhou, China. The games marked the 110th anniversary since the creation of the first continental event, starting with the 1913 Far Eastern Championship Games.
Three cities submitted bids to host the 2018 Asian Games that were recognized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The games were awarded to Hanoi, Vietnam. The other shortlisted city was Surabaya, Indonesia. This came after Dubai and the United Arab Emirates pulled out of the running at the last minute during the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly meeting on November 8, 2012.
The People's Republic of China competed at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, from 18 August to 2 September 2018. China won 289 medals, leading the medal count for the tenth time in Asian Games history.
Bids for the Asian Games is the process where National Olympic Committees select from within their national territory cities to put forward bids to host an Asian Games.
Esports has been one of the regular Asian Games sports since 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China. It was first introduced as a demonstration sport in 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang.
Asian Games (also known as Asiad).
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