The
1951 Asian Games, officially known as the
First Asian Games, was a
multi-sport event celebrated in
Delhi,
India from 4 to 11 March 1951. The Games received names like
First Asiad and
1951 Asiad. A total of 489 athletes representing 11
Asian National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 57 events from eight
sports and discipline. The Games was the successor of the
Far Eastern Games and the revival of the
Western Asiatic Games. The 1951 Asiad were originally scheduled to be held in 1950, but postponed until 1951 due to delays in preparations. On 13 February 1949, the Asian Games Federation was formally established in Delhi, with Delhi unanimously announced as the first host city of the
Asian Games.
The games were managed by a strong Organising Committee (see Organisation below).
Countries invited included almost all the independent Asian countries of the time except
Soviet Union and
Vietnam, due to the political structure of those nations.