RSSAsian Games, or Asiad, as it is commonly known, is a multiple sports event held once in four years. The first Asiad was held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, in 1951. Since that time, the event has acted as a catalyst for boosting the harmony among the Asian nations.
The curtains for the 16th edition of this event will rise on Nov 12, 2010 in Guangzhou – place located in the Guangdong Province of China. The 15-day event will kick off on the Haixinsha Island exactly at 8 pm on November 12. Athletes from about 45 Asian nations will participate at this event.
Known as the Asian sports Olympics, the event will have standard sports like football, gymnastics, athletics and so on along with exclusive Asian martial arts. Athletes will get an opportunity to showcase their talents in about 42 varying event categories. These events will be held across four regions of Guangzhou – Guangzhou, Shanwei, Dongguan and Foshan.
China is acting as the Asiad host for the second time. It had previously played the host to Asian Games in 1990, when the 11th edition of the event was held in Beijing. This event is indeed an opportunity for the Southern China to display its prosperity and economic strength to the world, since the host city is among the leading electronics manufacturing locations of the globe.
The event will come to an end on 27th of November 2010, during which a tribute to the Asian culture will be paid in the form of an elegant opera. The closing ceremony will also witness the handing over of the official Asian Games flag to South Korea, where the next edition – 2014 Asian Games – is scheduled to be held.
16th Asian Games – Official Mascots
The official mascots for XVI Asiad are five goats carrying strange horns - a big one and four small ones. These goats are known under the names of A Xiang, A He, A Ru, A Yi and Le Yang Yang, respectively.
Participants of XVI Asiad
East Asia: China, Hong Kong China, Macao China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, South Korea, Mongolia
West Asia: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, United Arab Republic, Yemen
Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, Vietnam
XVI Asiad Events
1. Aquatics
2. Archery
3. Athletics
4. Badminton
5. Baseball
6. Basketball
7. Boxing
8. Bowling
9. Cycling
10. Canoeing
11. Chess
12. Cue Sports
13. Cricket
14. Dance
15. Dragon Boat Racing
16. Equestrian
17. Fencing
18. Football
19. Golf
20. Gymnastics
21. Handball
22. Hockey
23. Judo
24. Kabaddi
25. Karate
26. Modern Pentathlon
27. Roller Sports
28. Rowing
29. Rugby Union
30. Sailing
31. Sepak Takraw
32. Softball
33. Shooting
34. Squash
35. Table Tennis
36. Taekwondo
37. Tennis
38. Triathlo
39. Volleyball
40. Weightlifting
41. Wrestling
42. Wushu
The event, which is definitely going to be very exciting, is sure to bring the nations together for a good cause and pave for boosting the athletic spirit.
Image Source: www.chinahighlights.com
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