Description

The XV Asiad, officially the 2006 Asian Games, took place in Doha, Qatar, from December 1 to 15, featuring 424 events in 39 sports. Doha, the second city in West Asia to host the games, will host again in 2030. It marked the first time all 45 Olympic Council of Asia member nations participated, with Eurosport broadcasting outside the continent for the first time. The Games used 21 venues, including the new Aspire Indoor Sports Complex, and saw the debut of trampoline gymnastics, chess, and triathlon. China topped the medal tally, followed by South Korea and Japan, with Qatar in ninth place. Tajikistan, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates secured their first-ever Asian Games gold medals. The event witnessed the breaking of 7 world and 23 Asian records, with South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan named the most valuable player.