The Asian Games

     Athletes, coaches, and journalists from 45 regions will gather in November 2010 for the 16^th Asian Games, which will be hosted in Guangzhou.  The 2010 Asian Games’ official mascots are five goats, traditionally a symbol of good luck in Chinese culture.  The goat is also representative of the host city, which is called the “City of Five Goats.”  Each of the five mascots has an auspicious name meaning luck, harmony, joy, success, and great happiness.

The Asian Games have a lot of the same events as the Olympics, but there are also a few that stand out.  Billiards, bowling, and chess are very popular indoor sports, so they have been included in the Games.  Dragon boat races are common during the Dragon Boat Festival, but at the Asian Games, teams will be competing for medals.  Even odd sports like kabaddi, which is a more physical version of tag, and sepak takraw, volleyball using only the feet, have a place at the Asian Games.




                                                                                                                                         Posted by Jill Cheng