The first book to focus solely on the Asian Games, this is an analysis of the Oriental rival to the Olympics in terms of its geopolitical, economic, sociological, historical, racial and aesthetic context, looking at its birth, growth and maturation from 1913 up until 2006. Written by a team of international scholars, this is a collection of original research and first-hand material from archives across Asia which addresses a number of issues central to notions of nationalism and Orientalism in sport including:

• the relationship between the Asian Games and the Olympic Games
• the challenge the Asian Games present to Western forces such as the IOC and international sports federations
• politics
• power structure and struggle in the Asian Games
• nationalism and cultural identity
• the relationship between Orientalism, Globalism and the Asian Games
• commercialisation of the Asian Games
• the contribution modern sport makes to social development in Asia
• the future of the Asian Games.

This book was previously published as a special issue of Sport in Society.