The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games, they have been organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), after the breakup of the Asian Games Federation. The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and are described as the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics are a periodic series of international multi-sport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities, including impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The 1988 Summer Paralympics, were the first Paralympics in 24 years to take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" came into official use.
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games. They may nominate cities within their respective areas as candidates for future Olympic Games. NOCs also promote the development of athletes and training of coaches and officials at a national level within their geographies.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees. The current president is Sheikh Fahad Al-Sabah. The oldest NOCs are from Japan and the Philippines, recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1911; whereas East Timor is the newest, joining in 2003.
Macau residents participate in a wide variety of sports for recreation and competition. Football, basketball, volleyball, Dragon Boat, jogging, swimming, table tennis, and badminton are among the most popular in the community. Local leagues and competitions are organized regularly every year, but owing to Macau's small population professional leagues are financially unfeasible and so most participants are merely local sport enthusiasts.
Brazil first participated at the Olympic Games in 1920, after missing the previous five Summer editions. The country has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the 1928 Games. As of 2016, Brazilian athletes have won a total of 129 medals in 15 different Summer sports. Brazil has also participated in the Winter Olympic Games since 1992, though to this date no Brazilian athlete has won an Olympic medal in winter sports. The country's best result at the Winter Olympics was a ninth-place finish achieved by snowboarder Isabel Clark Ribeiro at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Since Brazil is mostly a tropical nation, the country's most important results so far have been achieved at the Summer editions.
The Republic of Korea first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for 1980 which they boycotted. South Korea has also participated in every Winter Olympic Games since 1948, except for the 1952 games.
The Pan American Sports Organization is an international organization which represents the current 41 National Olympic Committees of the Americas.
The Republic of China currently competes as "Chinese Taipei" at the Olympic Games. The ROC first participated at the Summer Olympic Games in 1932. After the Chinese Civil War the ROC retreated to the island of Taiwan and only Taiwan-based athletes have competed in its team since then. The ROC boycotted the Olympics starting from the 1976 Summer Games until it returned to the 1984 Winter Games, and started participating as Chinese Taipei.
The Olympic Committee of Kosovo is the National Olympic Committee representing Kosovo. Officially established in 1992, the OCK became a full member of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Movement on 9 December 2014. It is responsible for Kosovo's participation at the Olympic Games.
The Republic of China (ROC) participated in its first Summer Olympics in 1932 under the name of China. After the Chinese Civil War, the ROC retreated to the island of Taiwan, and only Taiwan-based athletes have competed on its behalf since then. The ROC protested the 1979 Nagoya Resolution by boycotting the 1976 Summer Olympics. That continued until the ROC competed under the deliberately-ambiguous name Chinese Taipei in the 1984 Winter Olympics. China also took part in the Opening Ceremony of the 1924 Summer Olympics, but its four athletes, all of whom were tennis players, withdrew from competition.
The Sports and Olympic Committee of Macau, China, is the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Macau and is responsible for organizing the Special Administrative Region's (SAR) participation in international sporting events. It is officially recognised as a National Olympic Committee by the Asian Olympic Committees and Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees, but not yet by the International Olympic Committee.
The Faroe Islands first competed at the Summer Paralympic Games in 1984, and have competed in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since then. They have never participated in the Winter Paralympic Games.
Germany (GER) participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of nine athletes. The country, since 1949 officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), was until 1990 also called West Germany while the separate East German Democratic Republic (GDR) existed, which was recognized by the IOC only after 1964. East German athletes, however, participated in the Paralympics for the first and last time in 1984. Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, athletes from all of Germany compete simply as Germany (GER) again.
Ukraine made its Paralympic Games début at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, with thirty athletes competing in archery, track and field, powerlifting, swimming, and sitting volleyball. Vasyl Lishchynskyy won Ukraine's first Paralympic gold medal, in the shot put, and Ukrainians also won four silver medals and two bronze. Ukrainians had previously participated within the Soviet Union's delegation in 1988, and as part of the Unified Team in 1992. Ukraine, following its independence from the Soviet Union, missed out on the 1994 Winter Games, but made its Winter Paralympics début at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. Ukraine has competed at every edition of the Summer and Winter Games since then and have done so with remarkable success.
Macau sent a delegation to participate in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from 29 August to 9 September 2012. This was the seventh appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games for the territory since its debut at the 1988 Summer Paralympics. A high jumper and a wheelchair fencer were chosen to represent Macau in London after the nation qualified one athlete by merit and the other by invitation. Wheelchair fencer In I Lao was nominated to be the territory's flag bearer for the opening ceremony. At the Paralympics, Lao came ninth in the group rounds of both the women's individual foil A and the women's individual épée A tournaments while high jumper Hio Sam Tong also finished in ninth in the men's long jump F20 event.
Macau sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the territory's eighth time competing at a Summer Paralympic Games since it debuted at the 1988 Summer Paralympics. The Macanese delegation to Rio consisted of one athlete, 18-year old swimmer Chen Yu Chia, who qualified for the Games by being granted a wild card place from the International Paralympic Committee in August 2016. His best finish was 17th in the men's 200 metre freestyle S14 tournament, and his other result was 19th in the men's 200 metre individual medley SM14.
The Faroe Islands sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. They sent one participant, Krista Mørkøre, who participated in three events in swimming. Her top finish was 10th in women's 400 m freestyle S10, and she did not qualify for the finals of any of her three events.
Athletes have competed as Independent Paralympians at the Paralympic Games for various reasons, including political transition, international sanctions, suspensions of National Paralympic Committees and compassion.
