DUSHANBE, December 1, Asia-Plus - More than 100 Tajik athletes will participate in the 15 ^th Asian Games that opened in Doha, Qatar, today.  The games will last till December 15. 

 A Tajik delegation led by Bahrullo Rajabaliyev, the president of Tajikistan’s National Olympic Committee (NOC), also includes  15 coaches, 10 representatives from sports federations and three journalists. 

Tajik sportsmen will compete in 14 sports: taekwon-do; karate-do; athletics; boxing; table tennis; free-style wrestling; judo; soccer, weightlifting, etc.  The Sports Committee and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) have provided funds for participation of our athletes in the Games in Qatar.    

Nearly 12,000 athletes from 45 countries across the Asian continent will converge on Doha, to compete for fame and glory.  Athletes will compete in the following sports: archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, body building, bowling, boxing, canoe-kayak, chess, cue sports, cycling, equestrian, fencing, soccer, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, karate-do, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, soft tennis, squash, table tennis, taekwon-do, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu

The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event  held every four years among atletes from all over Asia.  The Games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  Medals are awarded in each event, with gold for first place, silver for secodn and bronze for third, a tradition which started in 1950.  

The Olympic Council of Asia was approved for formation in New Delhi, India during the Asian Games Federation (AGF) Council Meeting held on November 26, 1981, which was attended by duly accredited representatives of the affiliated Asian National Olympic Committees. One year later it was officially founded on December 5, 1982 in New Delhi during the IX Asian Games, which were held there as the last games under the "AGF" umbrella