The South Asian Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event held among athletes from South Asia. The South Asia Olympic Council, which was formed in 1983, governs it. The Games comprise of seven countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan had participated in the Games four times, but left the SAOC after participating in 2016.
The 2006 South Asian Games were held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 18 August to 28 August 2006, in the Sugathadasa Stadium with more than 2000 sportspersons competing in the record 20 disciplines of Sports.
Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), also known as the National Olympic Committee of Pakistan, is the national Olympic organization in Pakistan. It was established in 1948 to oversee the active participation of the newly independent state at the Olympiad. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the country's founder and first Governor-General, became the patron-in-chief of the new institution, and Ahmed E.H. Jaffar became its first President.
India is a member of the South Asian Zone of the Olympic Council of Asia, and has participated in the Asian Games ever since their inception in 1951. The Indian Olympic Association was established in 1927 and was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in the same year. It is the country's National Olympic Committee.
Afghanistan is a member of the Central Asian Zone of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), and has participated in the Asian Games since their inception in 1951. Afghanistan has also participated at the Asian Winter Games since 2007 but missed the 2017 edition held in Sapporo. The National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, established in 1935 and recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1936, is the National Olympic Committee for Afghanistan. The Committee is currently in exile and presided by Hafizullah Wali Rahimi: the International Olympic Committee has not recognized the Taliban regime's Committee, headed by Nazar Mohammad Mutmaeen.
Myanmar is a member of the Southeast Asian Zone of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), and has participated in the Asian Games since the inception of the Games in 1951. The Myanmar Olympic Committee, established in 1947 and recognised in the same year by the International Olympic Committee, is the National Olympic Committee for Myanmar.
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 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 2019 South Asian Games, officially the XIII South Asian Games, was a major multi-sport event which was originally slated to be held from 9 to 18 March 2019 in Kathmandu and Pokhara, Nepal. However, the dates were postponed and the event was held from 1–10 December 2019, coincidentally at the same time as the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines. The new dates were confirmed at the South Asian Olympic Council Executive Board meeting in Bangkok on 1 March 2019. The Dasarath Stadium hosted the opening ceremony along with the men's football tournament, with the stadium's renovation after the 2015 earthquake completed in under 10 months with an increased capacity of 20,000, along with the closing ceremony on 10 December.
Sri Lanka took part in the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo and Obihiro, Japan from February 19 to 26. This marks the country's official debut at the Asian Winter Games and a global Winter sporting event. The country is scheduled to compete with five athletes in one sport. The team will also consist of two officials and a chef de mission. The chef de mission of the team is Gihan Dalpathdo, the secretary general of Winter Sport Association of Sri Lanka.
Pakistan competed in the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo and Obihiro, Japan from February 19 to 26. The country competed in one sport.
The 2025 South Asian Games, officially the XIV South Asian Games, will be a major multi-sport event held in Pakistan. Lahore will be the main host city of the Games. Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Islamabad and Sialkot will support Lahore in hosting some of the sports. The Games were scheduled to be held in March 2023, but got postponed to Feb 2025 by the South Asian Olympic Council members at the Olympic Council of Asia conference in Cambodia.
Sri Lanka is a member of the South Asian Zone of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and has participated in the South Asian Games since the beginning of the game in 1984.
Nepal has Participated all 13 South Asian Games governed by South Asia Olympic Council.
Bangladesh has participated all 13 South Asian Games governed by South Asia Olympic Council.
Afghanistan has participated only 4 South Asian Games out of 13 governed by South Asia Olympic Council.
Bhutan is a member of South Asian Zone of Olympic Council Of Asia and had participated in all 13 South Asian Games since beginning.
Maldives has participated all 13 editions of South Asian Games governed by South Asia Olympic Council. Maldives never hosted a single South Asian Games so far. At 13th South Asian Games, Maldives claimed its first ever gold. With that achievement Maldives became the last country to win a gold medal at the South Asian Games.
