From 1951 to 2026: A brief history of the Asian Games

The Asian Games flag being displayed in New Delhi on March 11, 1951. The 11 rings represent the nations that participated. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives

The year was 1948. The world was still recovering from the devastating after-effects of the Second World War. It was a period of widespread crisis that affected hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

In Asia, however, the period marked the liberation from colonial forces and the emergence of independent sovereign nations.

It was at this juncture that the seeds of the modern Asian Games were sowed. Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, is gearing up to host the 20th edition of the multi-discipline event between September 19 and October 4.

Looking back to the very beginning, it was India that played a decisive role in bringing the Games to life.

During the Summer Olympics of 1948 in London, International Olympic Committee (IOC) representatives from China and the Philippines proposed reviving the Far Eastern Championship Games, a tournament for only East and Southeast Asian countries.

However, India’s representative, Guru Dutt Sondhi, put forward the idea of a pan-Asian multi-sport event to unite the continent with the help of sport.

Sondhi’s proposal was unanimously approved, which led to the establishment of the Asian Games Federation in 1949. The committee comprised five charter members – India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and the Philippines.

India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru delivering a speech at the inauguration of the Asian Games Federation in 1951. Also present in the picture is Guru Dutt Sondhi (sitting, right). | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives

The members decided that the Games would be held every four years, and New Delhi was selected as the host city for the inaugural edition.

The first-ever Asian Games took place in 1951, featuring six sports: athletics, aquatics (diving, swimming, and water polo), basketball, cycling (road and track), football, and weightlifting. A total of 489 athletes, representing 11 nations, took part in 57 events.

Japan finished first, winning 60 medals, while India came second with 51 medals, including 15 gold and 20 bronze. 

The origins: The Far Eastern Championship Games and the West Asian Games

Before Asiad, there existed two regional, smaller-scale competitions similar to the Games – the Far Eastern Championships and the West Asian Games.

The Far Eastern Championships was held between 1913 and 1938 and featured China, Japan, and the Philippines.

The inaugural edition took place in Manila, with the championships spanning nine editions. It was disbanded in 1938, following tensions between Japan and China on the back of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.

‘Appu’ the elephant from 1982, the first-ever mascot of the Asian Games. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives

On the other side of the continent, efforts were on to organise a similar tournament for West Asian countries which led to the formation of the West Asian Games. It began in 1934 and involved countries such as British India, Afghanistan, the Palestine Mandate, and Ceylon.

However, just like the Far Eastern Games, the West Asian Games discontinued in 1938 after the start of the Second World War.

The two competitions ultimately became the precursor for the Asian Games, serving as the model for its creation.

Early years

The initial few years of the Games were anything but smooth sailing. In the 1962 edition, Indonesia refused to allow Israel and Taiwan to participate owing to religious and political tensions.

In 1962, host nation Thailand did not permit athletes from Israel and Taiwan, which led to the National Olympic Committees in Asia to revise the constitution of the Asian Games Federation, leading to the formation of the Olympic Council of Asia, which excluded Israel.

Only seven countries – India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Thailand – have competed in all editions of the Asian Games.

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