The Middle East was well represented at this year’s Asian Games which took place in Incheon, South Korea from September 19- October 4, 2014. Since the first Asian Games held in 1951, the event has grown to become the second largest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympic Games. The 2014 Asian Games featured 9,500 athletes from 45 countries, including 13 countries from across the Middle East.
Women athletes from the Middle East wowed us with their skills, bringing home medals in a variety of event competitions. Najmeh Khedmati won Iran’s first gold medal at the Games in Women’s 10m air rifle, sharing the podium with silver medalist Narjes Emamgholinejad of Iran. An impressive six out of nine of Bahrain’s gold medals were won by female competitors, while the UAE’s Alia Mohammed Saeed Mohammed took home the gold for her country in the Women’s 10,000m running event.
Check out the table below to see how well Middle Eastern countries performed at the 2014 Asian Games.
Country |
Rank |
Medal Count |
Iran |
5th |
57 (21 Gold) |
Qatar |
10th |
14 (10 Gold) |
Bahrain |
12th |
19 (9 Gold) |
Kuwait |
18th |
12 (3 Gold) |
Saudi Arabia |
19th |
7 (3 Gold) |
Iraq UAE |
25th |
4 (1 Gold) |
Jordan |
31st |
4 |
Lebanon |
35th |
2 |