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.
There have been nine nations that have hosted the Asian Games. Forty-six nations have participated in the Games, including Israel, which was excluded from the Games after their last participation in 1974.
Since 2010, host cities manage both the Asian Games and the Asian Para Games, the latter an event for athletes with physical conditions to compete with each other. The Asian Para Games are held immediately following the Asian Games, but the exclusion of Asian Para Games from any Asian Games host city contract means that both events will run independently of each other.
Host cities[]
| Games | Year | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony | Host city and country | Stadium | Opened by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1951 | 4 March | 11 March | New Delhi, India | National Stadium | Rajendra Prasad President of India |
| II | 1954 | 1 May | 9 May | Manila, Philippines | Rizal Memorial Stadium | Ramon Magsaysay President of the Philippines |
| III | 1958 | 24 May | 1 June | Tokyo, Japan | National Stadium | Hirohito Emperor of Japan |
| IV | 1962 | 24 August | 4 September | Jakarta, Indonesia | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium | Soekarno President of Indonesia |
| V | 1966 | 9 December | 20 December | Bangkok, Thailand | Suphachalasai Stadium | Bhumibol Adulyadej King of Thailand |
| VI | 1970 | |||||
| VII | 1974 | 1 September | 16 September | Tehran, Iran | Aryamehr Stadium | Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Shah of Iran |
| VIII | 1978 | 9 December | 20 December | Bangkok, Thailand | Suphachalasai Stadium | Bhumibol Adulyadej King of Thailand |
| IX | 1982 | 19 November | 4 December | Delhi, India | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | Zail Singh President of India |
| X | 1986 | 20 September | 5 October | Seoul, South Korea | Seoul Olympic Stadium | Chun Doo-hwan President of South Korea |
| XI | 1990 | 22 September | 7 October | Beijing, China | Workers' Stadium | Yang Shangkun President of China |
| XII | 1994 | 2 October | 16 October | Hiroshima, Japan | Hiroshima Park Stadium | Akihito Emperor of Japan |
| XIII | 1998 | 6 December | 20 December | Bangkok, Thailand | Rajamangala Stadium | Bhumibol Adulyadej King of Thailand |
| XIV | 2002 | 29 September | 14 October | Busan, South Korea | Busan Asiad Main Stadium | Kim Dae-jung President of South Korea |
| XV | 2006 | 1 December | 15 December | Doha, Qatar | Khalifa International Stadium | Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Emir of Qatar |
| XVI | 2010 | 12 November | 27 November | Guangzhou, Guangdong, China | Haixinsha Island | Wen Jiabao Premier of China |
| XVII | 2014 | 19 September | 4 October | Incheon, South Korea | Incheon Asiad Main Stadium | Park Geun-hye President of South Korea |
| XVIII | 2018 | 18 August | 2 September | Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium | Joko Widodo President of Indonesia |
| XIX | 2022 | 23 September 2023 | 8 October 2023 | Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China | Hangzhou Olympic Sports Expo Center | Xi Jinping President of China |
| XX | 2026 | 19 September | 4 October | Aichi and Nagoya, Japan | Paloma Mizuho Stadium | Naruhito Emperor of Japan (expected) |
| XXI | 2030 | TBA | TBA | Doha, Qatar | Khalifa International Stadium | TBA |
| XXII | 2034 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | King Fahd International Stadium |
Broadcasters[]
as of the 2022 and 2026 games
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Middle East and North Africa | beIN Sports |
| Australia | SBS Viceland, SBS On Demand |
| Brunei Darussalam | RTB |
| China | CCTV, CNR, Tencent, Migu, Douyin, Kuaishou |
| Chinese Taipei | PTS3, Videoland Television Network, EBC News, EBC Financial News, EBC Super TV, ELTA Sports, HamiVideo |
| Hong Kong | HOY TV, RTHK |
| India | Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV |
| Indonesia | RCTI, MNCTV, iNews, MNC Vision, RCTI+, Vision+, TVRI Sport |
| Japan | TBS, MBS, TVer, U-Next Sports |
| Macau | TDM |
| Malaysia | Astro, TV Okey, Sukan RTM |
| North Korea | KCTV |
| Pakistan | PTV Sports |
| Philippines | PTV, IBC, One Sports |
| Singapore | Channel 5, meWATCH |
| South Korea | SBS, KBS, MBC, TV Chosun, SPOTV, AfreecaTV |
| Thailand | Television Pool of Thailand (NBT2HD, Thai PBS, Channel 5, T Sports, Workpoint TV, True4U, GMM 25, MCOT HD, Channel 7, PPTV), AIS Play |