Western Asiatic Games

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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 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 Asia.

1934 Western Asiatic Games[edit]

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.


Results[edit]

Athletics[edit]

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
 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 ft 8+58 in (12.716 m) Ahmed Zahur
 India (IND)
Dov Rabinovich
 Mandatory Palestine (PAL)
Long Jump Niranjan Singh
 India (IND)
21 ft 11+34 in (6.699 m) K. Duraisingam
 Ceylon (CEY)
McGowan
 India (IND)
High Jump R. Francis
 India (IND)
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) W. W. Tambimuttu
 Ceylon (CEY)
Abu Yusuf
 India (IND)
Hop, Step and Jump Mehr Chand
 India (IND)
45 ft 5+58 in (13.859 m) Niranjan Singh
 India (IND)
Mohamed Khan
 Afghanistan (AFG)
Hammer Throw M. Ishaq
 India (IND)
94 ft 5 in (28.78 m) Ahmed Khan
 Afghanistan (AFG)
Dov Rabinovich
 Mandatory Palestine (PAL)
Discus Throw E. Whiter
 India (IND)
116 ft 3+34 in (35.452 m) Dov Rabinovich
 Mandatory Palestine (PAL)
Gurdit Singh
 India (IND)
Javelin Throw E. Whiter
 India (IND)
168 ft 4+34 in (51.327 m) Mehr Chand
 India (IND)
R.E. Blaze
 Ceylon (CEY)
Pole Vault Abdul Shafi
 India (IND)
11 ft 5+12 in (3.493 m) Gajinder Singh
 India (IND)
W. W. Tambimuttu
 Ceylon (CEY)
Relay Race  Ceylon  India  Mandatory Palestine

Aquatics[edit]

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[edit]

Only two countries British India and Afghanistan had entered their teams in the field hockey tournament. The only match of the tournament thus also served as the final. The British Indian team defeated Afghanistan 5–0.


2 March 1934 (1934-03-02)
India  5–0  Afghanistan
Irwin Amphitheater

Medal table[edit]

  *   Host nation (India)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 India (IND)*2013841
2 Ceylon (CEY)3328
3 Mandatory Palestine (PAL)05712
4 Afghanistan (AFG)0235
Totals (4 entries)23232066

See also[edit]

Other Games celebrated in India:

References[edit]

  • Official Report
  • Sport Israel, Nehemiah ben Avraham (Israel), 1968, pp. 155–156
  1. ^ Tiwari, Saket Raman (2008). History of Physical Education. Delhi: APH Publishing. pp. 259–260. ISBN 81-313-0041-2.
  2. ^ Thorpe, Edgar (2010). The Pearson General Knowledge Manual 2010. Delhi: Pearson Education (India). pp. 202–204. ISBN 81-317-2790-4.