In 1949, the Asian Games Federation was established in New Delhi, India, and the initially Asian Games took location in 1951. An additional edition of the Games was organized in Manila, Philippines, 3 years later, and considering that then, the Games have been held each 4 years, with the exception of Hangzhou, which was postponed due to the worldwide pandemic. Presently, the Asian Games are regarded the world’s second biggest multi-sport competitors, following the Olympic Games, and have been hosted by nine distinctive nations.

In 1981, the Asian Games Federation was renamed the Olympic Council of Asia, in order to strengthen its connection with the International Olympic Committee. Its headquarters have been relocated from India to Kuwait, exactly where it is at present primarily based. More than the previous seven decades, the Asian Games have expanded considerably. What started as an occasion featuring six sports and 57 events, contested by 11 nations in New Delhi, has transformed into a enormous Games with 40 sports, 481 events, and 41 participating nations. The upcoming Games in Hangzhou, scheduled to open on September 23 and close on October eight, will be a testament to this development.

All through the history of the Asian Games, only seven nations – India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Thailand – have participated in each edition of the Games. Seeking ahead, Japan is set to host the subsequent Games in 2026, taking location in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October four. Following that, the Games will make a Middle Eastern swing, with Doha hosting in 2030 and Riyadh in 2034. These future editions of the Asian Games guarantee to continue the wealthy tradition of international sports competitors that started in New Delhi in 1951.