The 7th Asian Games (Persian: بازیهای آسیایی ۱۹۷۴) were held from 1 to 16 September 1974 in Tehran, Iran. The Aryamehr Sports Complex was built for the Games. The Asian Games were hosted in the Middle East for the first time. Tehran, the capital of Iran, played host to 3,010 athletes coming from 25 countries/NOCs, the highest number of participants since the inception of the Games.
Fencing, gymnastics and women's basketball were added to the existing disciplines. The games were known for the use of state-of-the-art technology, from synthetic track to photo-finish cameras.
In 1970, South Korea dropped its plan to host the Games due to national security crisis; however, the main reason was the financial crisis, forcing the previous host Thailand to administer the Games again in Bangkok using funds transferred from South Korea.[5] Prior to the Games, Japan was asked to host the Games, but declined due to Expo '70 in Osaka.[6] This edition also marked the first time the Games were broadcast on television throughout the world.[7]
Atletics were one of the most popular disciplines of these games in 1974 in Tehran. Some of the famous figures of this discipline at that time in the men's category were Manouchehr Shamshiri, the Iranian track and field champion in 110 meters hurdles, 100 meters and 800 meters, Reza Entezari, 400 meters and 800 meters hurdles champion, Ahmad Goodarzi, 3000 meters hurdles champion.
Host city selection
On 11 and 12 January 1968, a meeting was organised at the Bangkok, in between the representatives of nine Asian National Olympic Committees. The framework of the meeting was set up in another meeting held on 1 September 1970 during the first Bangkok Asian Games. Tehran was selected as host city after defeating Kuwait City and Tel Aviv.
Aryamehr Sport Complex – Aquatics, Athletics, Basketball, Cycling, Fencing, Gymnastics, Field hockey, Football, Volleyball, Shooting, Table tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling
The Asian Games Federation conference, which was held ten months before the Games, decided to expel the Republic of China (Taiwan) from the games and accepted the entry of the People's Republic of China. The Arab nations, Pakistan, China and North Korea refused to play with Israel in tennis, fencing, basketball and football. This was the last time Israel competed in the Asian Games.
In the following calendar for the 1974 Asian Games, each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport were held. The numeral indicates the number of event finals for each sport held that day. On the left, the calendar lists each sport with events held during the Games, and at the right, how many gold medals were won in that sport. There is a key at the top of the calendar to aid the reader.
In September 1974, the national teams of Iran and Israel faced each other in a soccer match at Final and that most of Iranians and Israelis, especially the high classes and middle classes saw as the match as symbol of sympathy of two countries. This competition was held at Arya Mehr stadium with presence of Shah of Iran; Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and queen of Iran; Farah Pahlavi, it was a symbol of the friendship between two countries. The Iranian national team, with the support of their fans, eventually won with own goal of Israeli defender Itzhak Shum and this victory was celebrated as a national event with Israelis at streets of Tehran, Isfahan and Kerman.[9][10]
^Assumption Association (2003). อัสสัมชัญประวัติ (Assumption College 115th anniversary commemoration) (in Thai). Bangkok: Assumption Association. pp. 114–124. ISBN974-91380-1-5.