2026-10-01 Thu

The 1st Asian Games were held in New Delhi from 4 to 11 March 1951. Eleven Asian countries participated, with 489 athletes competing in the inaugural edition. The Games were officially opened by the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, at the National Stadium in New Delhi. India finished second in the medal standings, winning 51 medals. Our country has hosted the Asian Games twice, both times in New Delhi—in 1951 for the inaugural edition and in 1982 for the 9th Asian Games./

The Asian Games, also known as the Asiad, are Asia’s premier multi-sport competition, bringing together athletes from across the continent every four years. The Asian Games Federation was established in New Delhi in 1949, with India, Afghanistan, Burma, Ceylon and the Philippines among its founding members.

Since then, the Asian Games have grown into one of the largest multi-sport events in the world. Organised today under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Games have been held every four years, bringing together athletes across a wide range of sporting disciplines.

The 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, are currently being held in Japan. The Games officially opened on 19 September 2026 and will continue until 4 October 2026, with competitions taking place across Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya. Japan is hosting the Asian Games for the third time, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. Forty-five National Olympic Committees are participating in the 2026 edition.

As of 1 October 2026, India has won 60 medals at Aichi-Nagoya — 10 gold, 21 silver and 29 bronze. India’s medals have come across disciplines including athletics, shooting, archery, kabaddi, cricket, squash, boxing, wrestling, wushu, rowing, badminton, table tennis, weightlifting, kurash, mixed martial arts and soft tennis.

The ongoing Games therefore provide a fascinating link between the present and the history of Asian sporting competition. India’s participation in Aichi-Nagoya comes 75 years after New Delhi hosted the inaugural Games in 1951.

The history of the Asian Games can be seen through India’s philatelic heritage. To commemorate the 1st Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1951, India Post issued a set of two commemorative postage stamps on 4 March 1951, the opening day of the Games. The stamps were denominated 2 annas and 12 annas.

The two designs symbolised the spirit of the inaugural continental sporting gathering featured a hand holding burning torch. Issued at the very beginning of the Asian Games story, these stamps remain an important philatelic record of the historic New Delhi 1951 Games, linking India’s sporting past with the Asian Games being celebrated today in Aichi-Nagoya.