2006 South Asian Games
Encyclopedia
The 2006 South Asian Games (also known as 2006 SAF Games or 10th SAF Games) were held in Colombo
, Sri Lanka
from August 18 to August 28, 2006 in the Sugathadasa Stadium
with more than 2000 sportspersons competing in the record 20 disciplines of Sports.
The 10th edition of SAF Games also marked the debut for Afghanistan
. Another highlight of 2006 SAF Games was unprecedented high levels of security for officials & players amid violent clashes between the Sri Lankan Government’s troops and LTTE. Earlier in 2005, the Games,originally scheduled to be held in 2005, had been postponed after a tsunami
wave devastated
the region.
and mascot
for the 2006 SAF Games, respectively. However they drew some criticism for the lack of creativity particularly in the case of mascot.
-using by athletes to boost their performance, as a group of athletes were reportedly tested positive for the use of banned performance enhancing substance. Prominent athletes alleged to test positive included Nepal’s double gold-medalist Rajendra Bhandari
, Pakistani boxers Nauman Karim & Mohammed Lassi and Sri Lanka’s Jani Chathurangani Silva
..An Indian athlete was also said to have failed a dope test.
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
from August 18 to August 28, 2006 in the Sugathadasa Stadium
Sugathadasa Stadium
Sugathadasa Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is currently used mostly for football matches and athletic tournaments. The stadium holds 25,000 people. The 1991 and 2006 South Asian Games were held in this stadium. It also hosted the majority of matches for the 2010 AFC...
with more than 2000 sportspersons competing in the record 20 disciplines of Sports.
The 10th edition of SAF Games also marked the debut for Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Another highlight of 2006 SAF Games was unprecedented high levels of security for officials & players amid violent clashes between the Sri Lankan Government’s troops and LTTE. Earlier in 2005, the Games,originally scheduled to be held in 2005, had been postponed after a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
wave devastated
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
the region.
Mascots
Pora-Pol (an ancient sport of coconut fighting) and Wali kukula (a jungle fowl) were chosen as the official logoLogo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
and mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the 2006 SAF Games, respectively. However they drew some criticism for the lack of creativity particularly in the case of mascot.
Sports
The 2006 South Asian Games encompassed a record 20 disciplines with hockey being reintroduced after several years.Participating nations
athletes from eight countries competed at 2006 South Asian Games. (86) (192) (54) (293) (59) (216) (288) (366)Medal table
| 1 |  India |
118 | 59 | 37 | 214 |
| 2 |  Pakistan |
46 | 71 | 67 | 184 |
| 3 |  Sri Lanka |
37 | 63 | 78 | 178 |
| 4 |  Nepal |
15 | 14 | 31 | 60 |
| 5 |  Afghanistan |
6 | 7 | 18 | 31 |
| 6 |  Bangladesh |
3 | 15 | 32 | 50 |
| 7 |  Bhutan |
0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| 8 |  Maldives |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Highlights
- Nagalingm Edirith Weeresinghe and Sriyani KulawansaSriyani KulawansaMohotti Arachchilage Sriyani Kulawansa-Fonseca is a Sri Lankan hurdler. Her personal best time was 12.91 seconds, achieved in the quarter-finals of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.-Achievements:-References:...
(both former Sri Lankan athletes) lit the Games torch at the opening ceremony. - India made a clean sweep at Archery, Badminton, Rowing, Wushu.
- Women’s Kabaddi event was introduced for the first time in the history of games.
- MaldivesMaldivesThe Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
failed to claim any medal for the second consecutive time. - Sri Lanka Swimmer Mayumi Raheem wins 10 medals (3 Gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze) a record for any athlete at a single games
Doping
The 10th SAF games couldn’t be freed from infamous trend of steroidSteroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
-using by athletes to boost their performance, as a group of athletes were reportedly tested positive for the use of banned performance enhancing substance. Prominent athletes alleged to test positive included Nepal’s double gold-medalist Rajendra Bhandari
Rajendra Bhandari
This is an article about the Nepali-language poet. For the athlete, see Rajendra Bahadur BhandariRajendra Bhandari is an Indian, Nepali language poet and academic at the Sikkim Government College in Gangtok....
, Pakistani boxers Nauman Karim & Mohammed Lassi and Sri Lanka’s Jani Chathurangani Silva
Jani Chathurangani Silva
Jani Chathurangani Silva is a Sri Lankan track and field athlete who competes mainly in sprinting.-South Asian Games:In 2006 the South Asian Games held in Colombo, she clocked 11.76 seconds to take the women's 100m silver medal and was also part of the 4x100 relay team which won gold...
..An Indian athlete was also said to have failed a dope test.