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

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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

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Athletics

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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 Mehar Chand Dhawan
  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

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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 Nalin Malik
  India (IND)
6:26.4 Efraim Alfred Guth
  Mandatory Palestine (PAL)
Ghulam Hussain Butt
  India (IND)
1 Mile Freestyle Nalin 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

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Only two countries 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

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  *   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

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Other Games celebrated in India:

References

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  • 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.