Incheon Asian Games 2014 officially known as the XVII Asiad
Asian Indoor Sports Stadium
Asian Games 2014 Medals
The
2014 Asian Games officially known as the XVII Asiad, the biggest sports
competition in Asia is taking place from September 19 - October 4, 2014 in
Incheon, South Korea. Forty-five (45) nations from all across Asia whose 9, 535
athletes will converge and compete for 439 disciplines in 36 sports in a
two-week long battle of brains and brawns. Host and fast rising powerhouse
South Korea will attempt to battle it out for the number one spot against giant
powerhouse China and Japan. Trailing behind them are the countries of
Kazakhstan, Iran and Thailand. The once powerhouse country of the Philippines
is now the laggard of Asia trailing way behind on the lower end of the ranking
along with other small countries. Philippines is one of the weakest country in
Asia not only in sports but also in social and economic progress. Starting in
2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, the Philippines never produced a medal and many
thought it is impossible for the country to win a gold medal in the Olympic
Games.
Asian
Games was first held in 1951 in New Delhi, India as a brainchild and idea of
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to foster unity, friendship and cooperation
among Asian nations. Since then it was held in different cities across Asia
like Manila, Tokyo, Jakarta, Bangkok, Tehran, Seoul, Beijing, Hiroshima, Busan,
Doha and Guangzhou. The next Asian Games to be officially called the XVIII
Asiad will be held in Palembang, Indonesia in 2018. Iloilo would be happy to
bid and host the games either in 2042 or 2046 and maybe Olympic Games in 2056.
Asian Powerhouses China, Japan and South Korea collected the most number of
medals in the history of the games.
Meanwhile,
here are some interesting trivia of the Asian Games:
Prior
to the Asian Games, there is a sporting competitions for countries in the Far
East called the Oriental Championship or Far Eastern Games first held in 1913
in the Philippines with the first gold medal won by Philippines in football
winning over Japan 15-2. The games was held until 1934 on the onset of the
Sino-Japanese War and China's withdrawal upon the insistence of Japan to
include the Manchu Empire as competing nation when the Games for 1938 was
cancelled and ultimately discontinued thereafter.
The
first edition of the Asian Games held in New Delhi, India in 1951 took place
from March 4 - 11 and was participated by 489 athletes representing 11 nations
competing in 57 events from eight (8) sports. Founding countries of the Asian
Games were Afghanistan, Burma, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The eleven
(11) participating nations of the first Asian Games were Afghanistan, Burma,
Ceylon, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand.
First
worldwide television broadcast of the games was in 1970 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Asian
Games was held outside the capital city of the host country for the first time
1994 when it was held in Hiroshima, Japan.
Thailand
hosted the games four times - the most number for any Asian nation. All the
editions of the games in Thailand were opened by H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej and
were closed on December 20. The first three editions of the games in Thailand were opened on December 9 while the last Bangkok games was opened on December 6.
Nine
(9) nations have hosted the Asian Games.
Only
seven countries namely India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka,
Singapore and Thailand have competed in all editions of the games.
China
and Japan were the only countries to have emerged over all champions in all
editions of the games
Of
all the countries to participate at the games, only Bhutan, Maldives and
Timor-Leste (East Timor) are yet to win a single medal (current 2013).
Israel
is the only Asian country absent in Incheon Asian Games 2014.
