1974 Asian Games medal table

An open-roof sport arena at the nighttime, with grass field (at the centre) and athletic track (around the field), sitting pavilions full with crowd watching a football match
Aryamehr Sport Complex was the venue for all the events of the Games.

The 1974 Asian Games (officially known as the Seventh Asian Games) was a multi-sport event held in Tehran, Iran from September 1, 1974, to September 16, 1974. This was the first time that Asian Games were celebrated in any Middle East country. A total of 3,010 athletes selected from 25 Asian National Olympic Committees participated in 16 sports divided into 202 events.[1] The number of participating countries was the greatest in Asian Games history, eighteen nations competed in Bangkok, host of the 1970 Asian Games.[2] Fencing, gymnastics (artistic) and women's basketball were included for the first time; while sailing—which made its debut in the previous Asian Games—was not included, however since 1978, sailing is a part of the Asian Games sports.[1][3][4]

The Republic of China (Taiwan) was expelled from the Games after the decision made in the Asian Games Federation's conference held on November 16, 1973, to allow the entry of the People's Republic of China. Mongolia and North Korea also entered the Games for the first time.[5][6] Athletes from the Arab nations, Pakistan, China and North Korea refused to face Israel in tennis, fencing, basketball and football events, due to political reasons.[1]

Nineteen nations earned medals at the Games, and fifteen of them won at least one gold medal. Japan led the medal count for the seventh consecutive time in the Asian Games, with 75 gold and 175 overall medals.[7] Competitors from the host nation, Iran, finished at the second spot in the medal table, the best performance of Iran since 1951, claiming 81 medals in total (including 36 gold). In its debut, China finished third with a total of 106 medals, including 33 gold. South Korea devolved to fourth position with 16 gold and 57 overall medals, South Korea ranking second in the medal table of the previous Asian Games.[8][9]

  1. ^ a b c "Asian Games – Tehran 1974". ocasia.org. Olympic Council of Asia. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  2. ^ "Asian Games – Bangkok 1970". ocasia.org. Olympic Council of Asia. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  3. ^ "VII Asian Games". sports.gov.pk. Pakistan Sports Board. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  4. ^ "Sports – Sailing". gz2010.cn. Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  5. ^ "Red China asks berth in Olympics". The Record-Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. April 17, 1975. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  6. ^ "The Seventh Asiad in Tehran, Iran". People's Daily. people.com.cn. Archived from the original on 2013-08-14. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  7. ^ "VIII Asian Games". sports.gov.pk. Pakistan Sport Board. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference ocasia2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "The final tally". The New Straits Times. September 17, 1974. p. 19. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2012.