The XIII South Asian Games was a major multi-sport event held at Kathmandu and Pokhara, Nepal from 1st to 10th December, 2019.

The Games was officially inaugurated through a grand ceremony at Dasharath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu on 1st December, 2019, showcasing the rich tradition and culture of Nepal with colourful and diverse performances.

Buddha, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath and Shiva were among the religious leaders and Gods featured during the ceremony, which lasted more than three hours.

Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari formally inaugurated the 13th edition of the South Asian Games (SAG) with grandeur and fanfare. The Nepali President declared the multi-sports event of SAARC open at the newly-constructed Dasharath Stadium in the presence of about 30,000 people..

The Bangladesh contingent was the first to enter the stadium to begin the march-pasts, followed by Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and lastly Nepal.

A couple of performers in blackbuck (the Games’ mascot) costumes led the march through traditional lakhe dance, which is a part of the culture of the Newar people, the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley.

Five female performers depicting the Panchakanya or Pancha Kumari were in front of each of the contingents of Bangladesh, Bhutan and India, while depictions of Pancha Buddha were in front of Maldives, and Astamatrika depictions were in front of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.   

One of Nepal’s most successful Olympic athletes and four-time SA Games gold-medalist Deepak Bista lit the flame on the cauldron after a torch relay including Olympians Baikuntha Manandhar, Rajendra Bhandari, Nayana Shakya, Umesh Maskey and Debu Thapa.

The audience was enchanted by a 30-member traditional instrumental band called Pancha Baja on the ground, as well as by a band in the gallery. Human chains of thousands performers on the two sides of athletics track formed the shape of Pashupatinath on one side and Swambhunath on the other.

The South Asian Games song was performed by five renowned local singers, including Kunti Moktan, Ananda Karki, Satya Raj Acharya and Indira Joshi. The performance was followed by a three-minute laser light show displaying the blackbuck in all sports.

One of the most entertaining parts of the event was the traditional dance performance afterwards, which included separate performances with the performers dressed as Buddha, Shiva, Krishna and others. Around 15,000 performers from the Nepal Army, Nepal police and Armed Police Force and others were involved. The ceremony concluded with fireworks at a venue that was once again hosting the Games after 20 years.

Technical delegates from various countries, tournament directors, referees, judges, media persons and sports lovers from several countries also graced the occasion. Approximately 3.000 athletes and official from all the eight countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, besides India) in the region participated in the 13th South Asian Games.

The games ended with an impressive closing cermony on 10th December, 2019 Tuesday. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ishwor Pokharel was the Chief Guest of the closing ceremony. The organizer also announced that 14th South Asian Games will be held in Pakistan.



Pakistan finished fourth on the final medals table, bagging 32 gold, 41 silver, and 60 bronze medals.India dominated the points table with 174 gold medals, with Nepal and Sri Lanka following with 51 and 40 golds, respectively.

Participating Nations

7

Sports/Events

26
Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Cricket, Cycling, Fencing, Football, Golf, Handball, Judo, Kabaddi, Karate, Kho-Kho, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling and Wushu.
 

The top three winners were: India, Nepal and Sri Lanka

   Medal Tally of XIII South Asian Games

    Pakistan Medal Tally in XIII South Asian Games