The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad,[clarification needed] is a 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.[1] The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee(IOC) and are described as the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.[2][3]
In its history, nine nations have hosted the Asian Games. 46 nations have participated in the Games, including Israel, which was excluded from the Games after their last participation in 1974.
The last Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China from 12 November to 27 November 2010. The next Games will be held in Incheon, South Korea. Contents [hide] * 1 History * 1.1 Prior formation * 1.2 Formation * 1.3 Crisis, reorganization, expansion * 1.4 Future changes * 2 Participation * 3 Sports * 4 Medal count * 5 Samsung MVP award * 6 List of Asian Games * 7 See also * 8 References * 9 External links |
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]History
[edit]Prior formation
Before the Asian Games were held, there was a gathering known as the Far Eastern Games which was first mooted in 1912 between Empire of Japan, thePhilippine Islands and China. The first Games were then held in Manila in 1913 and ten further gatherings were held until 1934. However, against the backdrop of the second Sino-Japanese War in 1934, in the face of Japan's insistence on including Manchu Empire as competitor nation in the Games, China announced its withdrawal from participation. The Games scheduled for 1938 were cancelled and the organization was discontinued thereafter.
[edit]Formation
After World War II, a number of Asian countries became independent. Many of the newly independent Asian countries wanted to see a new type of competition where Asian dominance would not be shown by violence but would be strengthened by mutual understanding. During the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, a conversation between sportsmen from China and the Philippines raised the idea of restoring the Far Eastern Games. However, the Indian International Olympic Committee representative Guru Dutt Sondhi thought that the restoration of the Games would not be sufficient to show the spirit of unity and level of achievement in Asian sports, so proposed to sports leaders the idea of having discussions about holding a wholly new competition — the Asian Games. This gave rise to the agreement to form the Asian Athletic Federation. 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, alongside the name Asian Games Federation, with New Delhi announced as the first host city of the Asian Games which were scheduled to be held in 1950.[4][5]
[edit]Crisis, reorganization, expansion

First Asian Games Opening Ceremony
Starting in 1962, the Games were hit by several crises. First, the host country Indonesia, refused to permit the participation of Israel and the Republic of China due to political and religious issues. As a result, the IOC removed its sponsorship of the Games and terminated Indonesia as one of the IOC members.[6] The Asian Football Confederation (AFC),[7] International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), also removed their recognition of the Games.[8][9]
In 1970, South Korea dropped its plan to host the Games declined due to national security crisis, however the main reason was due to financial crisis, forcing the previous host Thailand to administer the Games again in Bangkok using funds transferred from South Korea.[10] Prior to the Games, Japan was asked to host the Games, but declined due to Expo '70 in Osaka.[11] This edition also marked the first time the Games have a television broadcasting throughout the world.[12] In 1974, the Games formally recognized the participation of China, North Korea and Mongolia. Israel was allowed to participate despite the opposition from Arab world, while Taiwan was permitted to take part despite its status was abolished in general meeting on November 16, 1973 by Games Federation.[13]
The last is 1978, Pakistan dropped its plan to host the Games in 1975 due to financial crisis and political issues.[14] Thailand offered to help and the Games were once again held in Bangkok. However, once again, like in 1962, Taiwan and Israel were refused the participation by Games Federation, amid political issues and security fears.[15] Several governing bodies protested against the ban, like IAAF, threatened to bar the participating players from 1980 Summer Olympics,[16] this caused several teams to withdraw prior to the Games.[17]
Following this series of crises, the National Olympic Committee in Asia decided to revise the constitution of the Asian Games Federation. A new association, named the Olympic Council of Asia, was created in November 1981 with the exclusion of Israel.[18] India was already scheduled to host the 1982 Games and the OCA decided not to drop the old AGF timetable. The OCA formally supervised the Games starting with the 1986 Asian Games in South Korea.[19] In the succeeding Games, Taiwan (Republic of China) was re-admitted, but was forced by the People's Republic of China to compete under the nameChinese Taipei.[20]
In 1994, the Games included the former republics of the Soviet Union of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan for the first time. It was also the first time that the Games had been held outside the capital city of the host country.[21] However, Iraq was suspended from the Games due to the Persian Gulf War in 1990, while North Korea boycotted the Games due to relation problems. It was also marred by the death of Nepalese delegation Nareshkumar Adhikari during the Games' opening ceremony.[22] The 1998 Games marked the fourth time the Games had been held in Bangkok, Thailand. Differ to December 6 as opening ceremony date to previous three occasions on December 9, the Games were closing on same day all time, December 20, while all opened by Bhumibol Adulyadej.
[edit]Future changes
The number of competition events is scheduled to shrink down to just 35 sports at the 2014 Games to be held in Incheon, South Korea. 2014 will also see the last Games hosted in an even-numbered year, as the Olympic Council of Asia pushed the subsequent Games to just one year ahead of the Olympic Games. This means the 18th Asian Games which were originally planned for 2018 will be pushed to 2019.
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Participation
See also: Olympic Council of Asia

2006 Asian Games
All 45 members affiliated to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) are eligible to take part in the 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.[23] Israel requested to participate in the 1982 Games, but the request was rejected by the organizers due to incident in 1972 Summer Olympics.[24] Israel is now a member of theEuropean Olympic Committees (EOC).
Due to its continuing ambiguous political status, Taiwan has participated in the Games under the flag of Chinese Taipei since 1990. Macau is allowed to compete as one of the NOCs in 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 other NOCs in Oceania.[25]
Only seven countries, namely India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Thailand have competed in all editions of the games.
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Sports
Main article: Asian Games sports
44 sports were presented in Asian Games history, including 2010 Games in Guangzhou. Sport | Years | Aquatics | since 1951 | Archery | since 1978 | Athletics | since 1951 | Badminton | since 1962 | Baseball | since 1994 | Basketball | since 1951 | Board games | since 2006 | Bodybuilding | 2002–2006 | Bowling | 1978, 1986, since 1994 | Boxing | since 1954 | Canoeing | since 1986 | Cricket | 2010 | Cue sports | since 1998 | Cycling | 1951, since 1958 | Dancesport | 2010 | Dragon boat | 2010 | Equestrian | 1982–1986, since 1994 | Fencing | 1974–1978, since 1986 | Football | since 1951 | Golf | since 1982 | Gymnastics | since 1974 | Handball | since 1982 | | Sport | Years | Hockey | since 1958 | Judo | since 1986 | Kabaddi | since 1990 | Karate | since 1994 | Modern pentathlon | 1994, 2002, 2010 | Roller sports | 2010 | Rowing | since 1982 | Rugby union | since 1998 | Sailing | 1970, since 1978 | Sepaktakraw | since 1990 | Shooting | since 1954 | Softball | since 1990 | Soft tennis | since 1990 | Squash | since 1998 | Table tennis | 1958–1966, since 1974 | Taekwondo | 1986, since 1994 | Tennis | 1958–1966, since 1974 | Triathlon | since 2006 | Volleyball | since 1958 | Weightlifting | 1951–1958, since 1966 | Wrestling | since 1954 | Wushu | since 1990 | |
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Medal count
Main article: All-time Asian Games medal table
Of the 46 National Olympic Committees participating throughout the history of the Games, 43 nations have won at least a single medal in the competition, leaving three nations: Bhutan, Maldives and Timor-Leste yet to win a single medal. 34 nations have won at least a single gold medal, while Japan and China became the only two nations in history to emerge as overall champions.
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Samsung MVP award
Samsung introduced the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in Asian Games since 1998 Games in Bangkok, Thailand. Below is the list of winners: Year | Athlete | Sport | Ref | 1998 | Koji Ito | Athletics | [26] | 2002 | Kosuke Kitajima | Swimming | [26] | 2006 | Park Tae-Hwan | Swimming | [27] | 2010 | Lin Dan | Badminton | [28] |
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]List of Asian Games

Host countries of the games through 2014. Red spot denotes the city of the Games. Year | Games | Host | Dates | Nations | Athletes | Sports | Events | Ref | 1951 | I | New Delhi, India | March 4–11 | 11 | 489 | 6 | 57 | [29] | 1954 | II | Manila, Philippines | May 1–9 | 19 | 970 | 8 | 76 | [30] | 1958 | III | Tokyo, Japan | May 28 – June 1 | 16 | 1,820 | 13 | 97 | [31] | 1962 | IV | Jakarta, Indonesia | August 24 – September 4 | 12 | 1,460 | 13 | 88 | [32] | 1966 | V | Bangkok, Thailand | December 9–20 | 16 | 1,945 | 14 | 143 | [33] | 1970 | VI | Bangkok, Thailand | December 9–20 | 16 | 2,400 | 13 | 135 | [34] | 1974 | VII | Tehran, Iran | September 1–16 | 19 | 3,010 | 16 | 202 | [35] | 1978 | VIII | Bangkok, Thailand | December 9–20 | 19 | 3,842 | 19 | 201 | [36] | 1982 | IX | New Delhi, India | November 19 – December 4 | 23 | 3,411 | 21 | 147 | [37] | 1986 | X | Seoul, South Korea | September 20 – October 5 | 27 | 4,839 | 25 | 270 | [38] | 1990 | XI | Beijing, China | September 22 – October 7 | 36 | 6,122 | 29 | 310 | [39] | 1994 | XII | Hiroshima, Japan | October 2–16 | 42 | 6,828 | 34 | 337 | [40] | 1998 | XIII | Bangkok, Thailand | December 6–20 | 41 | 6,554 | 36 | 376 | [41] | 2002 | XIV | Busan, South Korea | September 29 – October 14 | 44 | 7,711 | 38 | 419 | [42] | 2006 | XV | Doha, Qatar | December 1–15 | 45 | 9,520 | 39 | 424 | [43] | 2010 | XVI | Guangzhou, China | November 12–27 | 45 | 9,704 | 42 | 476 | [44] | 2014 | XVII | Incheon, South Korea | September 19 – October 4 | Future event | 2019 | XVIII | Surabaya, Indonesia or Dubai, UAE or Taipei, Chinese Taipei or Hanoi, Vietnam
(TBD 8 November 2012) | | Future event | 2023 | XIX | To be determined | | Future event |

The 2011 Asian Winter Games was a multi sporting event that was being held in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan and that began on January 30, 2011 and ended on February 6, 2011. It was the first time that Kazakhstan hosted such a large event since independence from the Soviet Union.[4] The documents for the hosting city were signed in Kuwait on March 4, 2006.[5] Contents [hide] * 1 Venues and financing * 2 Medal table * 3 Venues * 4 Torch relay * 5 Sports Events * 6 Participating NOCs[17] * 6.1 Non-Competing nations * 7 Calendar * 8 References * 9 External links |
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Venues and financing
Astana Mayor Imangali Tasmagambetov announced venues being built include a multipurpose Sports Palace which will seat up to 15,000 spectators, a ski jump complex, a biathlon stadium, and an athlete village.
Upgrades to existing venues included modernizing the Central Stadium, the B. Sholak Sports Palace, Medeo Skating Rink, and Shimbulak Ski Resort. The ski area was increased fivefold from the current 5 km to 65 km. In 2008 a gondola lift from Medeo Skating Rink to Shymbulak Ski Resort was planned to be completed, however, only in the summer of 2010 construction really started and was under serious time preassure. Medeo Skating rink, built in 1972, is an outdoor rink about a half-hour from Almaty. It is surrounded by the Tian Shan Mountains.[6]
Kazakh Minister of Sports Temirkhan Dosmukhambetov notes the USD 726 million for construction and renovation comes from the 2008 state budget. The Olympic village, on the other hand, will be financed by private investors. Overall, Kazakhstan is spending over $1.4 billion to develop the area it in advance of the games.[6]
Upgrades to the Almaty airport were finished by December 2008; transport issues are also being reviewed. Millions of KZT are being earmarked for reconstruction and construction of main transport routes, overpasses, a ring road as well as investment in a light railway transport line between Talgar, Almaty, and Kaskelen. The plan also included purchases of city passenger buses, taxis, and possibly the construction of an underground electric transport system.
Almaty also upgraded its power supply network of substations and transmission lines. Expansion and reconstruction of heating systems was also recommended. A portion also got into environmental stabilisation.[7]
In 2008, both Medeo and Shymbulak Ski Resort were rebuilt in preparation for the Games. By 2015, Vladimir Smirnov, deputy head of the national ski federation, sayd the Shymbulak complex will play a key role in any prospective Olympic bid, and "by 2015 Shymbulak should become one of the world's ten largest ski resorts". People love to ski in Shymbulak, and many teenagers spend their weekends over there.[8]
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Medal table
Kazakhstan won the same amount of gold medals as it did in 2007 on the first day of the competition on the way to topping the medal table for the first time. Iran and Kyrgyzstan won their first ever Asian Winter Games medals, Iran in ski orienteering and alpine skiing and Kyrgyzstan in bandy. 8 countries won medals the most ever at an Asian Winter Games.
Key
The host country is highlighted in lavender blue Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | 1 | Kazakhstan (KAZ) | 32 | 21 | 17 | 70 | 2 | Japan (JPN) | 13 | 24 | 17 | 54 | 3 | South Korea (KOR) | 13 | 12 | 13 | 38 | 4 | China (CHN) | 11 | 10 | 14 | 35 | 5 | Mongolia (MGL) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Iran (IRI) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | Kyrgyzstan (KGZ) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | North Korea (PRK) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Total | 69 | 69 | 69 | 207 |
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Venues

Shymbulak was the site of alpine skiing events

Medeo during the final of the bandy tournament

Ski Jump centre in Almaty, built for the Games. Location | Venue[9] | Sports | Capacity | Astana | Astana Arena | Opening ceremony | 30,000 | | Indoor Speed Skating Stadium | Speed skating | 8,773 | | Kazakhstan Sports Palace (arena 1) | Ice hockey | 5,050 | | Kazakhstan Sports Palace (arena 2) | Ice hockey | 1,200 | | Republican Cycling Track | Short track speed skating, figure skating | 8,000 | Almaty | Baluan Sholak Palace of Culture and Sports | Ice hockey, closing ceremony | 5,000 | | Medeo | Bandy | 8,500 | | International Ski Jump Complex | Ski jumping | 9,500 | | Shymbulak Alpine Sport Resort | Alpine skiing | 3,000 | | Biathlon and Cross Country Skiing Stadium | Biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski orienteering | 6,200 | | Tabagan Sport and Recreation Complex | Freestyle skiing | 2,250 |
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Torch relay | This section may need to be updated. Please update this section to reflect recent events or newly available information, and remove this template when finished. Please see the talk page for more information. (February 2011) |
The flame of the Games was officially lit at Kuwait Towers, Kuwait City on January 11, 2011.[10][11] The relay was officially start in Almaty on January 12, 2011 and span around the cities in Kazakhstan for 16 days before arrive at the opening ceremony on January 30, 2011.[12] Date | City[13] | Length | Number of torchbearers | January 12 | Almaty | 11.7km | 80[12] | January 13 | Taraz | 12km [14] | 60[15] | January 14 | Shymkent | | | January 15 | Kyzylorda | | | January 16 | Aktau | | | January 17 | Atyrau | | | January 18 | Oral | | | January 19 | Aktobe | | | January 20 | Kostanay | | | January 21 | Petropavl | | | January 22–23 | Kokshetau | | | January 24 | Pavlodar | | | January 25–26 | Oskemen | | | January 27 | Taldykorgan | | | January 28–29 | Karagandy | | | January 30 | Astana | | |
-------------------------------------------------
[edit]Sports Events

What Are the Asian Games?
The Asian Games are Asia’s version of the Olympic Games and are the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympics. The Asian Games, also called Asiad, were formed after World War II when newly independent Asian countries wanted to host an event that would unite Asian countries through sports. The Games are overseen by the Olympic Council of Asia with oversight from the International Olympic Committee.
The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, India in 1951. Like the Olympics, the Asian Games are held every four years. The 17th Asian Games will be held in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea, but the 18th Asian Games will be held in 2019, in order for there to be one year between the Asian Games and the Olympic Games. Since 1958, the motto of the Games has been “Ever Onward.”
Who Competes in the Asian Games?
Some 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia, the governing body of sports in Asia, compete in the Asian Games; however, which countries participate has varied during the Asian Games’ history.
During the 1962 games, Taiwan and Israel were not allowed to participate. In 1970, South Korea was scheduled to host the games but backed out citing security issues. In 1974, China, North Korea and Mongolia were formally allowed to participate. In 1990, Iraq was not allowed to compete because of the Gulf War.
Just as in the Olympics, today Taiwan participates as Chinese Taipei while Macau competes separately from China even though it is not separately recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Israel remains banned from the Asian Games and a member of the European Olympic Committee.
What Sports Are Played in the Asian Games?
Thousands of athletes compete in over 40 sporting events, including gymnastics, swimming, diving, basketball, baseball, table tennis and soccer. Non-traditional sports, including board games like Chinese chess and 圍棋 (Wéiqí, Go) are also part of the competition. Bodybuilding is no longer included in the Games.Starting with the next Asian Games in 2014, only 35 sports will be played. Athletes are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals for first, second, and third place, respectively.
How Are the Guangzhou Asian Games 2010 Different from Previous Asian Games?
Several new sporting events have made their debut at the Guangzhou Asian Games 2010. The new events include: cricket, dancesport, dragonboat, roller sports, and board game, wéiqí (Go). In some sports, new rules have been introduced. For example, in taekwondo, head strikes are now allowed.
The Asian Games, also referred to as Asiad, are an international multi-sport event of the modern era, currently held every four years at the mid-point of the Olympic quadrennium. Participants include athletes from the Asian continent and the event is usually held in late summer to early fall.
Based on a model of the Olympic Games, the Asian Games are overseen by the Olympic Council of Asia under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is one of the five continental associations that are recognized by the IOC. In a bit of an interesting twist, the OCA is based in Kuwait despite the fact that the National Olympic Committee of Kuwait was suspended in January of 2010 because of political interference by the government. (International Olympic Committee)
The Asian Games is one of several major international events in which diving is included. As with similar events such as the Pan American Gamesand the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games can many times be counted as a stepping stone to the Olympics for diving competitors.
The precursor of the Asian Games were the Far East Games that began in 1913, but due to political and military conflicts were discontinued in 1937. Renewed again in 1951 and held in New Delhi, India, the event was renamed the Asian Games.
The current version of the Asian Games includes over 40 sports and close to 5,000 athletes, making it the second largest multi-sport competition in the world, second only to the Olympics.Asian Games by Year and Site * 1951 – New Delhi, India * 1954 – Manila, Philippines * 1958 – Tokyo, Japan * 1962 – Jakarta, Indonesia * 1966 – Bangkok, Thailand * 1970 – Bangkok, Thailand * 1974 – Tehran, Iran * 1978 – Bangkok, Thailand * 1982 – New Delhi, India * 1986 – Seoul, South Korea * 1990 – Beijing, China * 1994 – Hiroshima, Japan * 1998 – Bangkok, Thailand * 2002 – Busan, South Korea * 2006 – Doha, Qatar * 2010 – Guangzhou, China * 2014 – Incheon, South Korea