Russia was invited to the Asian Games – there are tags, volleyball with legs and dragon boat races

Our athletes may return to international tournaments this year – most likely in a neutral status and after a special selection.

And it is already known where they are exactly expected – the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) invited the national teams of Russia and Belarus to the Asian Games in Beijing.

What is this tournament?

The Asian Games were invented only 19 years later than the Olympics; after the Second World Tournament was reborn

The Asian Games have a rich history – they appeared not much later than the modern Olympics (unlike the same European Games, which debuted only in 2015).

They were originally called the Far East Games (or the Far East Olympic Games), and were founded in 1912 as a major start for just three countries: Japan, China and the Philippines. The first such Games were held in 1913 – despite the original plan, 6 countries took part in them (in addition to the founders, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong).

The Games were held every two years – only 10 times from 1913 to 1934. The Eleventh Games were planned for 1938 in Japan, but they were canceled due to the country’s conflict with China. The organization itself collapsed, and the history of the Far Eastern Games ended there.

After World War II, China and the Philippines returned to the idea of ​​a major Asian tournament. Other countries also joined the issue – as a result, the IOC member from India, Guru Dutt Sondhi, presented a new competition, which was called the Asian Games.

Since then, the Summer Asian Games have been held 28 times, the Winter Games (they were invented in 1986) – 8 times. The Summer Games take place every 4 years, the same year that the IOC hosts the Winter Olympics. And the Asian Winter Games are held at different intervals – either once every 4 years, then once every 6 years, or even 3.

In terms of the number of participants, this is almost the Olympics, and there are more medals. The village, the talisman and the lighting of the fire are also there

The motto of the Asian Games is “Ever onward”. The symbol is a red sun with 16 rays and a white circle in the middle, symbolizing the warmth of the spirit of the Asian people.

Each Games has a separate mascot – usually an animal living in the venue is chosen for this role. For example, the mascots of the 2018 Games in Indonesia were the bird of paradise, the Bawei deer and the Javanese rhinoceros. But at the 2022 Games in China, they departed from tradition – three robots were chosen as mascots.

The Asian Games are hosted by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) – the tournament is fully recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Now 45 countries that are members of the OCA are participating in the competition. Until 1976, the Israeli team also played, but it was suspended from the Games for security reasons due to the terrorist attack at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Israel is now a member of the European Olympic Committee.