Western Asiatic Games
The Western Asiatic Games was a multi-sport event for athletes from Western Asia. The games were established since as a replacement to the Far Eastern Games, which were cancelled due to the political difficulties between China and Japan. The games were suggested and organized by the IOC member in India, Guru Dutt Sondhi.
The scope of the Games comprised all the countries east of Suez and west of Singapore. The first and only edition of the games was celebrated in Delhi, India from 27 February to 3 March 1934. A second event was planned to be held in Tel Aviv, Palestine Mandate, however the games were cancelled due to the armed conflict in the region.[1][2]
The Asian Games was later launched as a successor competition and, at a more narrow regional level, the West Asian Games emerged to fulfil the position of an event for West Asian.
1934 Western Asiatic Games
The First Western Asiatic Games was celebrated in Delhi between 27 February and 3 March 1934 at the Irwin Amphitheater. Four countries—Afghanistan, British India, Palestine Mandate and Ceylon—participated. The participants competed in athletics, aquatic sports, including swimming and diving, and field hockey.
All competitors were male, and no women took part in the games. The delegation from Palestine Mandate included only Jewish athletes.
Results
Athletics
Athletics was contested at the Irwin Amphitheater, New Delhi from 2 to 3 March.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 yards | R.A. Vernieux  | 9.7 | E.S. Whiteside | Mohamed Khan  | ||
| 220 yards | E.S. Whiteside | 22.5 | Theodore Levy  | 23.4 | Shlomoh Meranz | 23.8 |
| 880 yards | G.P. Bhalla | 2:03.5 | D.I. Colonne .svg.png){kind=small} | Chengappa | ||
| 1 mile | N. Mathews | 4:41.8 | Harcharn Singh | Walter Frankl | ||
| 3 Miles | Kishen Singh | 15:22.6 | Walter Frankl | 16:23.4 | Gujjar Singh | |
| 6 Miles | Gujjar Singh | 32:33.5 | Babu Ram | Walter Frankl | 36:37.4 | |
| 440 Yards Hurdles | M. Asghar | 1:00.0 | Latif Mohammed | Mohammed Khan | ||
| Shot Put | Cyril Cl. Dissanayake | 41' 8 ⅝" | Ahmed Zahur | Dov Rabinovich | ||
| Long Jump | Niranjan Singh | 21' 11¾" | K. Duraisingam | McGowan | ||
| High Jump | R. Francis | 5' 10" | W. W. Tambimuttu | Abu Yusuf | ||
| Hop, Step and Jump | Chand Mehr | 45' 5 ⅝" | Niranjan Singh | Mohamed Khan | ||
| Hammer Throw | M. Ishaq | 94' 5" | Ahmed Khan | Dov Rabinovich | ||
| Discus Throw | E. Whiter | 116' 3 ¾" | Dov Rabinovich | Gurdit Singh | ||
| Javelin Throw | E. Whiter | 168' 4 ¾" | Chand Mehr | R.E. Blaze | ||
| Pole Vault | Abdul Shafi | 11' 5½' | Gajinder Singh | W. W. Tambimuttu | ||
| Relay Race | | | | |||
Aquatics
Aquatic sports, including Swimming and Diving were contested at Patiala from February 25 to February 26, 1934.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 Yards freestyle | Raja Ram Sawoo | 1:12.8 | Sushil Bose | Efraim Alfred Guth | ||
| 220 Yards breaststroke | Darshan Singh | 3:57.4 | P.K. Bannerjee | |||
| 440 Yards freestyle | N.C. Malik | 6:26.4 | Efraim Alfred Guth | Ghulam Hussain Butt | ||
| 1 Mile Freestyle | N.C. Malik | 28:14.8 | Efraim Alfred Guth | |||
| 110 Yards backstroke | Bakshi Ranbir | 1:39.8 | D.I. Holamn | De Khogen | ||
| Diving | Rit Mohinder Singh | Sushil Bose | Bashir Ali Shaikh | |||
Field hockey
The final was contested between India and Afghanistan. The Indian team defeated Afghanistan 5–0.
Medal table
* Host nation (India)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 20 | 13 | 8 | 41 |
| 2 | | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 4 | | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Totals (4 nations) | 23 | 23 | 20 | 66 | |
See also
Other Games celebrated in India:
References
- Results of the First Western Asiatic Games. Official Report
- Sport Israel, Nehemiah ben Avraham (Israel), 1968, pp. 155–156
- Tiwari, Saket Raman (2008). History of Physical Education. Delhi: APH Publishing. pp. 259–260. ISBN 81-313-0041-2.
- Thorpe, Edgar (2010). The Pearson General Knowledge Manual 2010. Delhi: Pearson Education (India). pp. 202–204. ISBN 81-317-2790-4.