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.
Athletics
Athletics was contested at the Irwin Amphitheater, New Delhi from 2 to 3 March.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 yards | R.A. Vernieux  India (IND) | 9.7 | E.S. Whiteside India (IND) | Mohamed Khan  Afghanistan (AFG) | ||
| 220 yards | E.S. Whiteside India (IND) | 22.5 | Theodore Levy  Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | 23.4 | Shlomoh Meranz Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | 23.8 |
| 880 yards | G.P. Bhalla India (IND) | 2:03.5 | D.I. Colonne .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ceylon (CEY) | Chengappa India (IND) | ||
| 1 mile | N. Mathews Ceylon (CEY) | 4:41.8 | Harcharn Singh India (IND) | Walter Frankl Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | ||
| 3 Miles | Kishen Singh India (IND) | 15:22.6 | Walter Frankl Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | 16:23.4 | Gujjar Singh India (IND) | |
| 6 Miles | Gujjar Singh India (IND) | 32:33.5 | Babu Ram India (IND) | Walter Frankl Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | 36:37.4 | |
| 440 Yards Hurdles | M. Asghar India (IND) | 1:00.0 | Latif Mohammed India (IND) | Mohammed Khan Afghanistan (AFG) | ||
| Shot Put | Cyril Cl. Dissanayake Ceylon (CEY) | 41' 8 ⅝" | Ahmed Zahur India (IND) | Dov Rabinovich Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | ||
| Long Jump | Niranjan Singh India (IND) | 21' 11¾" | K. Duraisingam Ceylon (CEY) | McGowan India (IND) | ||
| High Jump | R. Francis India (IND) | 5' 10" | W. W. Tambimuttu Ceylon (CEY) | Abu Yusuf India (IND) | ||
| Hop, Step and Jump | Chand Mehr India (IND) | 45' 5 ⅝" | Niranjan Singh India (IND) | Mohamed Khan Afghanistan (AFG) | ||
| Hammer Throw | M. Ishaq India (IND) | 94' 5" | Ahmed Khan Afghanistan (AFG) | Dov Rabinovich Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | ||
| Discus Throw | E. Whiter India (IND) | 116' 3 ¾" | Dov Rabinovich Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | Gurdit Singh India (IND) | ||
| Javelin Throw | E. Whiter India (IND) | 168' 4 ¾" | Chand Mehr India (IND) | R.E. Blaze Ceylon (CEY) | ||
| Pole Vault | Abdul Shafi India (IND) | 11' 5½' | Gajinder Singh India (IND) | W. W. Tambimuttu Ceylon (CEY) | ||
| Relay Race | Ceylon | India | Mandatory Palestine | |||
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 India (IND) | 1:12.8 | Sushil Bose India (IND) | Efraim Alfred Guth Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | ||
| 220 Yards breaststroke | Darshan Singh India (IND) | 3:57.4 | P.K. Bannerjee India (IND) | |||
| 440 Yards freestyle | N.C. Malik India (IND) | 6:26.4 | Efraim Alfred Guth Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | Ghulam Hussain Butt India (IND) | ||
| 1 Mile Freestyle | N.C. Malik India (IND) | 28:14.8 | Efraim Alfred Guth Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | |||
| 110 Yards backstroke | Bakshi Ranbir India (IND) | 1:39.8 | D.I. Holamn India (IND) | De Khogen India (IND) | ||
| Diving | Rit Mohinder Singh India (IND) | Sushil Bose India (IND) | Bashir Ali Shaikh India (IND) | |||
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 | India (IND)* | 20 | 13 | 8 | 41 |
| 2 | Ceylon (CEY) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | Mandatory Palestine (PAL) | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 4 | Afghanistan (AFG) | 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.