Philippines, 15 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Jorge Vargas: Co-founder of the Asian Games Federation


PhilBoxing.com



Jorge Vargas.

This piece is in response to queries from people who read my column a few Sundays ago on how the Asian Games was born. Questions boiled down to why was it that the First Asian Games were held in 1951, three years after the idea of Asian Games Federation was hatched as early as 1948 during the London Olympic Games?

Obviously, they were referring to what turned out an initial organizational meeting held August 8, 1948 at the Mount Royal Hotel room of then Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation president Jorge Vargas, grandfather of the now Philippine Olympic Committee president Victorico ?Ricky? Vargas.

It was in that meeting where a sub-committee of five, representing five member countries-to-be, to write the constitution and by-laws of the soon-to-be organized AGF.

Vargas, who was also the first International Olympic Committee representative to the Philippines, chaired the committee made up also K.C. Synn of the Korean Olympic Committee, Gunson Hoh of the China Amateur Athletic Federation, G.D. Sondhi of the Indian Olympic Association and Prof. Candido Bartolome, also of The PAAF.

It took six months for the committee to submit the proposed charter for ratification to a nine-man body, which met on February 12-13, 1949. Only five of the nine who attended the conference representing the Philippines, Afghanistan, Burma (now Myanmar), India and Pakistan, signed the document.

Representatives from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Indonesia, Nepal and Siam (now Thailand) also signed but only after ratification by their governments and Nationa Sports Associations.

The new charter also set the staging of the inaugural Games on February, 1950 in New Delhi as concession for hatching the idea of organizing the Federation as early as 1934 during the opening of the First Western Asiatic Games.

H.H. Yadavindra Singh of Idia was elected the AGF first president during the two-day conference with Vargas as vice president. Sondhi was elected honorary secretary general.
Vargas offered Manila as host of the Second Asian Games in 1954 and was granted.

Events to be contested in the inaugural Games were also approved ? athletics, swimming, tennis, baseball, hockey, basketball, volleyball, football, boxing, wrestling and weightlifting and all other sport in the calendar of the Olympic Games.

Difficulties on the part of the host country to get the stadium, accommodations and other requirements ready for the inaugural presentation forced the Games to be moved from 1950 to March of the following year.

And so on March 4-11, 1951, the First Asian Games unfolded with 11 countries taking part ? Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, The Philippines, Nepal, Singapore and Siam Thailand ? at New Delhi?s Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

From there, all Games were being staged under the same spirit of peace for all, respect and goodwill, marking more than half-a-century of unity and friendship among the youth of Asia.

After 31 years, seven more editions, the Games returned to New Delhi in 1982 in what turned out the last held under the auspices of the AGF which was replaced by the now Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) a year earlier.

With the aim of preparing the country for hosting the 1988 Olympic Games, South Korea bid and won the right to stage the 10th Asiad in 1986 in the City of Seoul under the aegis of the OCA.

From then on up to the on-going 18th edition, the second biggest multi-event conclave have been managed and supervised by OCA.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Manny motors to Vegas
    By Joaquin Henson, , Mon, 14 Jul 2025
  • Bakbakan sa Elorde on July 19
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 14 Jul 2025
  • Ringside, Still: Remembering Chino Trinidad
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025
  • Hamzah Sheeraz Demolishes Edgar Berlanga in Stunner, Becomes Mandatory Challenger to Canelo Alvarez
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025
  • Shakur Stevenson Masterfully Tames William Zepeda to Retain WBC Lightweight Crown
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025
  • JV Tuazon, Ador Torres, Lemuel De Barbo, Jomar Fajardo Score KO Wins in Brico Santig's Highland Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025
  • Yanon is PBF flyweight champ
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 13 Jul 2025
  • Taylor vs. Serrano Trilogy: Can Amanda Get The Nod?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • BERLANGA-SHEERAZ, STEVENSON-CEPEDA, MORELL-KHATAEV MAKE WEIGHT IN NEW YORK
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • Johnny Spell Takes on Chancellor Batttenberg on Saturday, July 19th at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington, PA
    , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • JV Tuazon, Ador Torres, Lemuel De Barbo, Jomar Fajardo Make Weight for Brico Santig's Highland Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Philippine Under-12 Girls Team Shines Bright, Clinches Multiple Medals at 23rd ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Penang
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Kenneth “Llover Boy” Takes on “El Nica” Concepcion Aug 17 on Gerry Peñalosa’s Show @ the Winford Resort and Casino Manila (Analysis)
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Anthony Velazquez won’t be Boxing’s best kept secret in 2026
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated Gabriela Tellez Returns July 18 at “Night of Champions” Live on DAZN
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Dushanbe hosts stacked fight card with Bakhodur Usmonov and Christopher Mouafo headlining IBA.Pro 8
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Shakur vs Zepeda & Morrell vs Khataev Fight Analysis
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Peñalosa To Test "Lover Boy" Llover Versus Accomplished Panamanian Veteran Concepcion
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Begins Brandenburg Cup Prep Camp
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Dream Fight: “Bam” Rodriguez vs “Puma” Martinez on the Horizon
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Perez vs Vivas Headlines All Star Boxing's Prueba de Fuego Card on July 25
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin Promotions & Ringside Ticket Inc. Present ‘Lopez Vs. Vargas’ Welterweight Battle
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Vegas Fight Experience Where Authentic Sparring Meets Cinematic Vegas Energy
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • 4 Division World Champion & Hall of Famer Erik Morales Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TONY HARRISON
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.