India Sports

South Asian Games 2016



The XII South Asian Games are scheduled to take place in Guwahati, Assam and Shillong, Meghalaya, India from 5 February to 16 February, 2016. Marking the participation of eight nations, this year's South Asian Games would have a total of 2,672 athletes completing over 23 sports in 228 events. The Organising and Executive Committees for the 12th South Asian Games have been formed by the Government of India in consultation with the Indian Olympic Association. These committees would be responsible for planning, management and effective execution of the Games. The main venues of the South Asian Games include Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong. The eight participating nations for 2016 South Asian Games comprise India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan. Additionally, out of the 23 sports scheduled to be held during the games, the major ones include: Handball, Tennis, Kho-Kho, Badminton, Cycling, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Wrestling, Swimming, Shooting and Football. Renowned sports personalities including Mary Kom, Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani would be representing India in this year's South Asian Games.

While the Games were initially expected to take place in October 2013, the suspension of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the city's elections led to their postponement to late 2015. Again, in the year 2015, it was decided to further postpone the sports competition to early 2016, reason being that the December dates didn't serve sufficient time for the preparations. Talking about the logo and mascot of the South Asian Games, well, Tikhor-the baby Rhino is the official mascot for the 2016 South Asian Games. Unveiled on 19 December 2016, Tikhor carries the message of Peace, Progress and Prosperity in the South Asian region. Additionally, the official motto of the South Asian Games is "Play for Peace, Progress and Prosperity". And, that's not all, the popular Indian lyricist, singer, poet and musician Bhupen Hazarika's song has been chosen as the theme for 12th South Asian Games.

South Asian Games History



South Asian Games(SAF Games, SAG or SA games) also formerly known as South Asian Federation Games are a biennial multi-sport event that is held among the athletes hailing from South Asia. South Asian Sports Council (SASC) is the governing body of these games. The first South Asian Games were hosted by Kathmandu, Nepal in September 1984 and since then are being held every two years except for some incidents. Often hyped as the South Asian version of Olympic Games, the South Asian Games were renamed from South Asian Federation Games in 2004 at the 32nd meeting of South Asian Sports Council. In South Asian Games, India has been successful in retaining its position as an overall champion for a whopping 11 times.

South Asian Games is a unique event which promotes sports with a view to boost the team spirit in addition to ensuring an amiable relationship between multiple South Asian countries. Amongst other missions of South Asian Games, major ones include the following:
  • Project India as a Global Sporting destination in order to leave behind a lasting impression
  • Create suitable environment and opportunities for active participation by the citizens who intend to showcase the culture and heritage of the North East and India
  • Build state-of-the-art sporting and excellent city infrastructure for the facilitation of the Games
South Asian Games Host Cities
YearGamesHost CityCountry
201913thKathmanduNepal
201612thGuwahati, ShillongIndia
201011thDhakaBangladesh
200610thColomboSri Lanka
20049thIslamabadPakistan
19998thKathmanduNepal
19957thMadrasIndia
19936thDhakaBangladesh
19915thColomboSri Lanka
19894thIslamabadPakistan
19873rdCalcuttaIndia
19852ndDhakaBangladesh
19841stKathmanduNepal


Last Updated on January 29, 2016