The
2003 Afro-Asian Games, officially known as the
First Afro-Asian Games or
I Afro-Asian Games and unofficially known as the
Inaugural Afro-Asian Games, was a major
international----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
multi-sport event held in Hyderabad, India, from October 24 (excluding
footballFootball at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games was held in Hyderabad, India from 22 to 31 October 2003. The football preliminaries commenced two days before the Opening Ceremony of the Games....
and
hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, which began on October 22 and October 23 respectively) to November 1, 2003.
The Afro-Asian Games was the largest sporting event ever to be held in Hyderabad, and one of the largest in India, second only to the
2010 Commonwealth GamesThe 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
by athletes' volume. The scale of these Games exceeds even the two
Asian GamesThe Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
held in
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
in
1951The 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 by the president of the organising committee Anthony de Mello...
(both by athletes' volume and by number of participating nations) and
1982The 9th Asian Games were held from November 19, 1982 to December 4, 1982 in Delhi, India.An incredible 74 Asian and Asian Games records were broken. This was also the first Asiad to be held under the aegis of the Olympic Council of Asia.-Sports:...
(by number of participating nations). More than 2000 athletes from 96 countries competed in the Games. A total of 131 sporting events in eight disciplines were conducted. Also, 120 countries sent 1,565 official representatives to these Games.
The First
Afro-Asian GamesThe Afro-Asian Games are a series of inter-continental multi-sport competitions, held between athletes from Asia and Africa. These Games are one-of-a-kind, since no other sporting competition brings athletes from these two continents together for one event, excluding the Olympic Games. These Games...
were held after nearly two decades of delays, shifts and cancellations. The prolonged amount of time for these Games considerably reduced interest in them. After the preliminary decision of hosting the Games, the venue was shuttled between
New DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and
Kuwait City-Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:...
. At the last moment, New Delhi was outfavoured by Hyderabad, which had hosted the
National Games of IndiaThe National Games of India is a sporting event held in India. It comprises various disciplines in which sportsmen from the different states of India participate against each other. It was in 1924, in erstwhile Punjab, that the Indian chapter of the Olympic movement was born. The founder was G.D....
in 2002.
These Games, however, had lesser scope than the
Asian GamesThe Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
or
Commonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, since 96 nations participated in only eight disciplines. The Games witnessed only one new world record. Thirty-seven countries - an unprecedented 39% of the participating nations - won at least one medal in these Games.
History
The idea to hold an inter-continental sporting event between Asia and Africa was initiated in April 1983, with
New DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
as the proposed venue. However, for unknown circumstances, the venue was shifted to
KuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and the Games were proposed to be held in 1985. Political instability led to the cancellation of the Games. In 1989, the proposal was reconsidered, with New Delhi again chosen as the venue for the Games. The Games were then scheduled for 1991. The plans went wrong due to inefficient communication between the members, and so could not come into force.
In 1999, a proposal for the renewal of the Games was accepted. Subsequently,
PunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
and then
New DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
were proposed as venues. However, they were postponed till November 2001. Slow preparations led to indefinite postponement again. After the occurrence of 9/11, Delhi pulled out. This led to the circulation of rumours that the games were "jinxed". Later, the IOA announced that the
Olympic Council of AsiaThe Olympic Council of Asia is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees. The current president is Sheikh Fahad Al-Sabah. The oldest NOC is from Japan and Philippines, recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1911; whereas East Timor is...
(OCA) and the
Association of National Olympic Committees of AfricaThe Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa is an international organization that unites the 53 National Olympic Committees of Africa...
(ANOCA) had sanctioned 2003 as the new date for the Games. Also, the venue was changed to Hyderabad after Delhi pulled out. Most critics point to the successful hosting of the 32nd
National Games of IndiaThe National Games of India is a sporting event held in India. It comprises various disciplines in which sportsmen from the different states of India participate against each other. It was in 1924, in erstwhile Punjab, that the Indian chapter of the Olympic movement was born. The founder was G.D....
, which were held at Hyderabad, as the main reason for Hyderabad being chosen.
Preparation
The Indian Government spent 1.03 billion (US$ 22.92 million), for the Afro-Asian Games, making these Games one of the most expensive sporting events held in Hyderabad. All preparations were completed within 60 days before the events began.
General Preparation
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) decided to set up a central head of the development for the Games. Thus, the Afro-Asian Games Secretariat was set up at the
Greenlands Guest House to organize, monitor and manage all the activities related to the Games. 17 functional organizing sub-committees were formed to oversee the development of the venues and other infrastructure. The various functions were divided within these committees. The special officer-in-charge of the Games was Sabyasachi Ghosh, while the Secretary-General of the Games was Ali Moradi.
A large development Planning Association meant a great amount of inter-connectivity and communication requirements. A 24-hour call centre with interpreters was set up, using a Closed User Group (CUG) circuit.
A large "web" of networking facilities was built to connect all the hotels, media centres, stadia and Transportation Committees. This would help in easing pressure on any one committee. Since the African continent is not very well-connected, an Accreditation Committee was dispatched to
AbujaAbuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
- in
NigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
- the host city of the
2003 All-Africa GamesThe 8th All Africa Games were October 5-17, 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria. 53 countries participated in 23 sports. The main venue was the newly constructed Abuja Stadium...
. The Accreditation committee brought all sports-persons and officials from Africa to Hyderabad.
Technology
The software company
CMC LimitedCMC Limited is an Information Technology services, consulting and software company having its Headquarters in New Delhi, India. CMC is part of the TATA group and is a subsidiary of Tata Consultancy Services. CMC was incorporated on December 26, 1975, as the 'Computer Maintenance Corporation...
had developed a Games and Event Management System (GEMS), which helped the organizers to efficiently manage events across the sports venues. It worked closely with
DoordarshanDoordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
, the official television broadcasters of the Games, to provide results of sporting competitions and live Games information. Additionally, cutting-edge technology like the implementation of geo-referenced maps and
Geographic Information SystemA geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
(GIS) was implemented, so as to ensure a smooth and rapid flow of work.
Transport
In the month of September, less than a month away from the Afro-Asian Games, the Transport Ministry of Hyderabad released a large number of luxury vehicles, to be used in the Games. It was the second time in the span of one year that the Transport Ministry had done so - the first time being for the 32nd
National Games of IndiaThe National Games of India is a sporting event held in India. It comprises various disciplines in which sportsmen from the different states of India participate against each other. It was in 1924, in erstwhile Punjab, that the Indian chapter of the Olympic movement was born. The founder was G.D....
. In an effort to spruce up the city in time for the Games, the organizers arranged several buses, vans and cars to ferry the athletes and the guests.
Accommodation
Accommodation of the athletes and foreign officials posed a serious problem to the organisers. Contrary to what the Olympics and related multi-sport events provide, no actual Games Village was available for the athletes to stay. The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) had initially wanted to have a separate Games Village for the Games, but could not arrange for it. Even though Hyderabad had hosted the 32nd
National Games of IndiaThe National Games of India is a sporting event held in India. It comprises various disciplines in which sportsmen from the different states of India participate against each other. It was in 1924, in erstwhile Punjab, that the Indian chapter of the Olympic movement was born. The founder was G.D....
in 2002, for which a Games Village had been built, the organizers could not utilise it due to severe financial problems. It was estimated that about 800 million (US$ 16 million) would be required to upgrade the existing Games Village. The Government of
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) instead opted to obtain bulk bookings from all the major hotels in the city so as to provide accommodation for the athletes, foreign dignitaries and the media.
Security
About 1400 police personnel were drawn from various districts of Andhra Pradesh to provide the first layer of security. In addition to this, over 5000 city policemen were deployed in various places, including the event venues and all the major hotels of the city. Strict anti-sabotage measures were taken to provide security at the athlete hotels. Also, a 24-hour access control system was placed, with sniffer dogs used to sanitise the area.
To facilitate foreign athletes and officials, four immigration counters were set up at the airport. A time limit of 30 minutes was laid down to clear any athlete or official. To improve security speed, six interpreters of
RussianRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
,
Japaneseis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, Mandarin Chinese,
KoreanKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
,
FrenchFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Arabic were present at the airport. In addition, 24 specially trained immigration personnel were stationed round the clock in the airport.
Pressure on Organizing Committee
There was a lot of pressure upon the Secretariat for the smooth performance of these Games, as the IOA would keenly observe the Afro-Asian Games, in preparation for the
2010 Commonwealth GamesThe 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
at
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India. Also, officials from
BeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China - the venue of
2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
- and
DohaDoha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
,
QatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
- the host of
2006 Asian GamesThe 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
- would attend the Afro-Asian Games, and keenly observe the way the Games functioned.
However, hosting of the Games was not the only major issue for the Committee. The Afro-Asian Games would see the participation of various nations which are not in good terms with some other nations. The then Prime Minister of India, Atal Behari Vajpayee, had hinted that
"some nations might withdraw from the Games, rather than get embroiled in international conflicts".
Marketing
Logo
The logo of the Afro-Asian Games was the
CharminarCharminar built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, India. The two words Char Minar of Urdu language are combined to which it is known as Charminar . These are four ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches, it has become the global icon of Hyderabad and is...
- Hyderabad's most famous landmark - surrounded by a string of pearls. Hyderabad is also famous for its pearls. The official logo of the Games was unveiled, along with the official website, by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on September 3, 2003.
Mascot
The Mascot for these Games was
Sheroo, also spelt
Sheru, a cartoon lion. Subsequently, a variation of the name 'Sheroo', called 'Shera', would be given for the mascot of the
2010 Commonwealth GamesThe 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
.
Sponsorships
Several Indian corporates such as
Indian Oil CorporationIndian Oil Corporation Limited, or IndianOil, is an Indian state-owned oil and gas corporation with its headquarters are in Mumbai, India. It is India’s largest commercial enterprise, ranked 98th on the Fortune Global 500 list for 2011...
(IOC), GVK Group and
State Bank of HyderabadState Bank of Hyderabad is an associate bank of State Bank of India , and is one of the scheduled banks in India. The Bank's Head Office is situated at Gunfoundry Area, in Hyderabad, India. SBH has over 1200 branches and about 12,800 employees. Assets are in excess of Rupees 767 billion...
provided sponsorships worth INR 10 million each towards the staging of several events of the inaugural Games. Several other corporates such as
Oil and Natural Gas CorporationThe Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited is an Indian state-owned oil and gas company headquartered in New Delhi, India. It is one of the largest Asia-based oil and gas exploration and production companies, and produces around 77% of India's total crude oil production and around 81% of...
(ONGC),
VideoconVideocon is an industrial conglomerate with interests all over the world, and is a Indian multinational company. The group has 17 manufacturing sites in India and plants in China, Poland, Italy and Mexico. It is also the third largest picture tube manufacturer in the world...
and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) also contributed to the Games. Also,
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
-based
IMG AcademiesIMG, originally known as the International Management Group is a global sports and media business headquartered in New York City.-History:...
assisted in the conduct of the Games.
Participating countries
The First Afro-Asian Games were the first time that Asia and Africa came together for such a large event. 43 Asian countries and 53 African countries participated in this sporting event.
Below is a list of all the participating countries in the Inaugural Afro-Asian Games.
Venues
The events of the Games were held across eight stadiums, spread throughout the suburb of Gachibowli. The venues were:
| Gachibowli |
GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium
Capacity: 30,000Events: Opening and closing ceremonies, Athletics, BoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, FootballFootball at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games was held in Hyderabad, India from 22 to 31 October 2003. The football preliminaries commenced two days before the Opening Ceremony of the Games....
|
Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium is an indoor sporting arena located in Hyderabad, India. The capacity of the arena is 2,000 people. It hosted some events for the Afro-Asian Games in 2003....
Capacity: 2,000Events: WeightliftingPowerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
|
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium The Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium is a cricket stadium in Hyderabad, India. The stadium was originally known as Fateh Maidan and was re-named in 1967 after Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's former Prime Minister....
Capacity: 30,000Events: FootballFootball at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games was held in Hyderabad, India from 22 to 31 October 2003. The football preliminaries commenced two days before the Opening Ceremony of the Games....
|
Gachibowli Hockey Stadium
Capacity: 8,000Events: HockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
|
| |
 |
 |
|
| |
| Gachibowli |
Central University Shooting Range
Capacity: 600Events: ShootingShooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
|
Aquatics Complex
Capacity: 2,000Events: SwimmingSwimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
|
SAAP Tennis Complex
Capacity: 4,000Events: TennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
|
Gachibowli Indoor Stadium Gachibowli Indoor Stadium is an indoor arena located in Hyderabad, India. The capacity of the arena is 4,000 people. Its located in the Gachibowli suburb.The venue hosted the 2009 BWF World Championships....
Capacity: 4,000Events: BoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
|
|
|
|
 |
Sports
The program of the Afro-Asian Games was almost the same as that of the
Asian GamesThe Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
, the only difference being in the number of sports. These Games witnessed eight disciplines in eight sports. Synchronised swimming and
divingDiving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
were not contested.
The list of sports is given below
(Number in parentheses indicates number of events).
-
AthleticsThe athletics events at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games were held from October 28 to October 30, 2003 at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium. A total of 42 events were contested at the inaugural edition of the Games.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:...
(41)
-
BoxingBoxing at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games was held from October 24 to October 31, 2003 at two stadia - GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium and Gachibowli Indoor Stadium...
(11)
-
FootballFootball at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games was held in Hyderabad, India from 22 to 31 October 2003. The football preliminaries commenced two days before the Opening Ceremony of the Games....
(1)
-
Field hockeyField hockey at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games was held over a period of eight days, from October 23 to October 31, 2003. It was one of the two sports which started before the opening ceremony of the Games, the other being football. The medal ceremonies were held on October 30 and October 31...
(2)
-
Shooting (16)
-
Swimming (38)
-
Tennis-Main draw:-Medalists:-Seeds:# Mahesh Bhupathi / Rohan Bopanna # Sunil Kumar Sipaeya / Vinod Sridhar 3. Adelo Abadia / Jhonny Arcilla 4...
(7)
-
Weightlifting (15)
Calendar
The 2003 Afro-Asian Games Calendar is given below.
Qualification
Qualification for the Games depended upon the performance of the countries in other major multi-sport events. Since these Games featured delegations from two continents, the qualification criteria for nations from the different continents was different. The qualification of the African nations was based on their performance in the
2003 All-Africa GamesThe 8th All Africa Games were October 5-17, 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria. 53 countries participated in 23 sports. The main venue was the newly constructed Abuja Stadium...
held in
AbujaAbuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
,
NigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The qualification for the Asian nations was based on their performance in the
2002 Asian GamesThe 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...
held in
BusanBusan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
,
South KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
Television
The official television host broadcaster of the Afro-Asian Games was
DD SportsDoordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
, India's first sports channel. The experience gained through broadcasting these Games would prove to be extremely helpful for its parent company Doordarshan, as they broadcasted the 2004 Olympic Games live and will also be telecasting the
2010 Commonwealth GamesThe 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
. However, the schedule of the Games clashed with an ongoing Triangular Cricket Tournament, and the events were aired on DD Metro. Doordarshan deployed 350 personnel, 10 outdoor broadcasting vans and 86 cameras for obtaining coverage of the Games. Additionally, five cameras were used for the Sports news and the sidelights.
Radio
India's premier radio broadcaster, the
All India RadioAll India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
(A.I.R), was the official radio partner of the Games. The AIR hired 150 programmers and engineers for the coverage of the Games.
Ceremonies
The opening and closing ceremonies were described as "eye-filling" and "opulent" by several media centers. The ceremonies cost
INR- Codes :INR is:* the ISO 4217 currency code of the Indian rupee * the Federal Aviation Administration location identifier of the McKinley National Park Airport, McKinley Park, Alaska, United States...
150 million (US$ 3.34 million) to execute. Children from India, China and some African nations had practiced for a reported 21 days to ensure the success of the beginning and the end of the Inaugural Games. The settings utilised for the ceremonies were designed by well-known
art directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
and
film production designerIn film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
Nitin Chandrakant DesaiNitin Chandrakant Desai, is a noted Indian art director and production designer of Indian cinema turned film and television producer, most known for his work in films like, Lagaan , Jodhaa Akbar , Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam...
.
Opening ceremony
The Opening ceremony of the Games were held in the GMC Balayogi Stadium - the main stadium of the events - at 5:30 pm
ISTIndian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
. The organisers considered it as
"a benchmark of the Games". The Opening ceremony of the Games showcased the cultural heritage of both the attending continents - Asia and Africa. 30,000 people came to watch the beginning of the gala sporting event. The ceremony, which was hosted by
BollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
actor
Priyanka ChopraPriyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
, was spread over a time period of two hours and forty minutes. Many celebrities, like actor
Sanjay DuttSanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
and tennis player
Leander PaesLeander Adrian Paes, pronounced pās, is an Indian professional tennis player who currently features in the doubles events in the ATP tour and the Davis Cup tournament...
graced the occasion. Also, six-time
pole vaultPole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
winner Sergey Bubka, along with his wife, attended the ceremony.
Around 12,000 schoolchildren and college students came up with a show depicting the vast and vibrant culture of the two continents.
Chief Guest L K Advani declared the Games open. Shooter Anjali Bhagwat took the Athlete's Oath. This was followed by a laser show, fireworks and a space cannon show. The highlight of the Opening ceremony was the
Umojas - a group of professional tribal dancers from Africa. There were other international showcases - the spiritual chanting by the
ChineseChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
monks, and the peace prayers by thousands of schoolchildren. Singer
Shankar MahadevanShankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:...
sang the theme song. Bollywood divas
Shilpa ShettyShilpa Shetty is an Indian film actress and model. Since making her debut in the film Baazigar , she has appeared in nearly 40 Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, her first leading role being in the 1994 Aag. Although she has been through years of decline during her career, Shetty has been...
, Simran and
Urmila MatondkarUrmila Matondkar is an Indian film actress.Matondkar, who made her screen debut as a child artist in the 1980 film Kalyug, debuted as an adult in Narasimha...
did dance performances.
Unlike the
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, there was no individual march past for the countries. The countries came in batches of two - Asian countries in one batch and African countries in another.
Closing ceremony
The closing ceremony of the Games was marked by lights, colour and technology.
The closing ceremony was hosted by
Yukta Mookhey. President APJ Abdul Kalam officially closed the Games, in front of a near capacity crowd. His closing words were : "
I congratulate all the athletes and officials who were part of the Games. When I see thousands of sportspersons I am sure the combined power of youth through sport will be the most powerful resource on earth." As he did so, the Stadium was lit up in a pyrotechnics display, and fireworks burst in the sky. A "daredevil" act was done by a few service personnel, who came riding on motorcycles. A fly-past of the
Indian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
airplanes, trailing smoke in the colours of the Indian flag took place as the dignitaries took their seats.
The expected "high-point" of the closing ceremony was the show of camaraderie between the sportspersons of the two continents. However, few athletes trooped into the Stadium for that purpose. The "camaraderie ceremony" was followed by speeches of various important people, among them being IOA President
Suresh KalmadiSuresh Kalmadi is an Indian politician and senior sports administrator. He was formerly a member of the Indian National Congress...
, IOA and OCA Secretary-General Raja Randhir Singh, ANOCA President Alfa Ibrahim Diallo,
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports
Vikram VermaVikram Verma is a political leader of Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh, India. He was born in the village Dharampuri of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh. He was born in a Hindu Jat family of Khadagdania clan. His father’s name is Ganpat Singh Verma. He married Shrimati Neena Verma on 22...
. The speeches were shortly followed by a memento presentation.
As night fell, hundreds of Army recruits brought lighted torches, and did the "mashal dance". Laser lights and several technological innovations followed. Sheroo, the mascot, was bid farewell by noted Indian singer
HariharanHariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity...
and many costumed children. The
Umojas performed yet again at the closing ceremony. The
ChineseChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
State circus was considered "breath-taking".
LebaneseLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
singer
Diana HaddadDiana Joseph Fouad Haddad is a Lebanese singer and television personality with Emirati citizenship. Mainly known as Diana Haddad, she is one of the most popular and successful singers in the Arab World and has been so since the late 1990s...
,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian singer
Hisham AbbasMohammad Hisham Mahmoud Mohammad Abbas was born on September 13, 1963 in Cairo, Egypt. He is commonly known as just Hisham Abbas . He is an Egyptian popsinger best known for his hit song Habibi Dah and his religious song Asmaa Allah al-husna-Biography:He had his primary education in Dar El Tefl...
and Indian singer
Remo FernandesLuís Remo de Maria Bernardo Fernandes, more popularly known as Remo Fernandes is a pop/rock/Indian fusion artist and playback singer from the state of Goa, India. His musical work is a fusion of many different cultures and styles he's been exposed to as a child in Goa and in his later travels...
performed at the closing ceremony as well.
The host country was portrayed by a number of traditional folk dances, after which the Games officially ended.
Highlights
- Africa was the clear leader in the athletics
The athletics events at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games were held from October 28 to October 30, 2003 at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium. A total of 42 events were contested at the inaugural edition of the Games.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:...
, winning 73 medals as compared to Asia's 47, even though the maximum number of nation-wise medals were garnered by Asian nations (China and India).
- Four time Olympic medallist Frankie Fredericks
Frank Fredericks is a former athlete from Namibia. Running in the 100 metres and 200 metres, he won four silver medals at the Olympic Games , making him Namibia's first and so far only Olympic medalist...
(NamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
) won the 200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
race – the last major tournament win of his distinguished 17-year-long career.
- Indian tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player Sania MirzaSania Mirza is a professional Indian tennis player. She began her tennis career in 2003 and is well known for her powerful forehand ground strokes. She is the first ever Indian to break into the top 30 WTA rankings...
won four gold medals in the tournament, thereby becoming the largest gold-medal winner in the tennis tournament.
- Sun Dan
Sun Dan is a Chinese rhythmic gymnast. She won five medals at the 2004 Asian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, two of them gold, and has competed at three World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships....
, an 19-year-old Chinese Army officer of the 75-kg category, lifted a weight of 168.5 kg, breaking the previous world record of 168 kg (set by her compatriot Tang GonghongTang Gonghong is a female Chinese weightlifter who competed in the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and 2004 Summer Olympics.She won the gold medal in the over 75 kg class, successfully lifting 182.5 kg in the clean and jerk event....
). In addition, NigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n athlete Mike Eamson hoisted a weight of 210 kg, which was the heaviest weight ever lifted in India according to the organisers.
- Asia won the dual-continental event with 82 gold medals, against Africa's 49.
Medal table
The official medal tally of the Afro-Asian Games is given below. China bagged the largest number of gold medals, followed by the host India in second place. Athletes from India won the most number of total medals, with 80.
Legacy
The success of the Games was a point in favor of India being able to host a major international sporting event. Subsequently, this success was used in the bidding of the
2010 Commonwealth GamesThe 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, which was ultimately awarded to
DelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
In addition, the hospitality sector received a major boost due to the games, as hotels and guest houses received large booking orders from people who were coming to see the Games - media-persons, delegates, officials, visitors, sports-persons, etc. Tourism also benefited from the Games, and the State Tourism Department showed many foreign journalists key tourism spots in the city. Many famous places such as the
CharminarCharminar built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, India. The two words Char Minar of Urdu language are combined to which it is known as Charminar . These are four ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches, it has become the global icon of Hyderabad and is...
and the
Chowmahalla PalaceChowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat , was a palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad state. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizam....
saw record number of visitors.
Also, famous local markets witnessed exceptional growth in sales and business, as demand peaked during the Games. Business of the world-renowned
pearlA pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s of Hyderabad increased by about 50%, generating revenue of 50 million in one week. The rise in buyers was mainly driven by African visitors, who prefer pearls as jewellery. Also, sale of
goldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
jewellery increased substantially, being driven by a large number of Muslim visitors who looked for traditional and intricate designs. In addition,
bangleBangles or churi are traditional ornaments worn mostly by South Asian women in India and Bangladesh, especially Hindus. It is tradition that the bride will try to wear as many small glass bangles as possible at her wedding and the honeymoon will end when the last bangle breaks...
s became the center of attraction for Chinese and African athletes.