1974 Asian Games

VII Asian Games

Logo of the 1974 Asian Games.
Host city	Tehran, Iran
Nations participating	25
Athletes participating	3010
Events	200 in 16 sports
Opening ceremony	September 1
Closing ceremony	September 16
Officially opened by	Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Shah of Iran
Athlete's Oath	Mansour Barzegar
Torch lighter	Golverdi Peimani
Main venue	Aryamehr Stadium
<  1970 1978  >

The 7th Asian Games (Persian: بازی‌های آسیایی ۱۹۷۴‎‎) were held from September 1, 1974, to September 16, 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.

Starting in 1962, the Games were hit by several crises. First, the host country Indonesia, refused to permit the participation of Israel and the Republic of China due to political and religious issues. As a result, the IOC removed its sponsorship of the Games and terminated Indonesia as one of the IOC members. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC),International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), also removed their recognition of the Games.

In 1970, South Korea dropped its plan to host the Games declined due to national security crisis, however the main reason was due to financial crisis, forcing the previous host Thailand to administer the Games again in Bangkok using funds transferred from South Korea. Prior to the Games, Japan was asked to host the Games, but declined due to Expo '70 in Osaka. This edition also marked the first time the Games were broadcast on television throughout the world.