The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia.

The second Sino-Japanese War in 1934, and Japan's insistence on including the Manchu Empire as a competitor nation in the Games, caused China to announce its withdrawal from participation.

At the London 1948 Summer Olympics, a conversation started between China and the Philippines to restore the idea of the Far Eastern Games.

Guru Dutt Sondhi, the Indian International Olympic Committee representative, believed that the restoration of the Far Eastern Games would sufficiently display the spirit of unity and level of achievement taking place in Asian sports.

The host country Indonesia refused to permit Israel and Taiwan to participate due to political recognition issues.

Israel was allowed to participate despite the opposition from the Arab world, while Taiwan was permitted to continue taking part (as "Chinese Taipei") although its status was abolished in a general meeting on 16 November 1973 by the Games Federation.

As in 1962, Taiwan and Israel refused participation by the Games Federation, amid political issues and security fears.

[19] These events led the National Olympic Committees in Asia to revise the constitution of the Asian Games Federation.

[22] The 1994 Games held in Hiroshima included the inaugural participation of the former 5 republics of the Soviet Union who were part of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The Games were hampered during the opening ceremony due to a heart attack that killed Nareshkumar Adhikari, the chief of the Nepalese delegation.

All 45 members affiliated with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) are eligible to participate in the Games.

Taiwan, Palestine, Hong Kong, and Macau participate in the Asian Games according to membership in OCA.

Due to its continuing ambiguous political status, Taiwan has participated in the Games under the flag of Chinese Taipei since 1990.

In 2007, the President of OCA, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, rejected the proposal to allow Australia to participate in the Games.

He stated that while Australia would add good value to the Asian Games, it would be unfair to the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC).

[29] There are only seven countries, namely India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Thailand, that have competed in all editions of the games.

Until the 2018 edition, each host country was allowed to set up the program respecting their local demands, which led to a dizzying growth of the event.

[52] In the 2022 Games, India became the fourth nation in history after Japan, China, and South Korea to cross the 100-medal mark in one edition.

[53][54] China, together with Japan and South Korea became the first three countries to cross the overall 200-medal mark in one edition during the 1986 Asian Games.