DUSHANBE, December 31, Asia-Plus -- On December 29, Tajikistan’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) organized celebrations to honor Tajik athletes that took part in the 15 ^th Asian games in Qatar fro December 1-15.  

Athletes and their coaches attended the ceremony sponsored by the country’s cellular operator Babilon.   Prizes were awarded to all athletes that represented Tajikistan in the Asian games in Qatar.   

We will recall that nearly 12,000 athletes from more than 40 countries across the Asian continent converged on Doha, to compete for fame and glory.  Athletes are competing in the following sports: archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, body building, bowling, boxing, canoe-kayak, chess, cue sports, cycling, equestrian, fencing, soccer, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, karate-do, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, soft tennis, squash, table tennis, taekwon-do, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu

Tajik sportsmen competed in 14 sports: taekwon-do; karate-do; athletics; boxing; table tennis; free-style wrestling; judo; soccer, weightlifting, etc.  

According to an official website of the 15 ^th Asian Games, www.doha-2006.com , Tajikistan with four medals (two gold and two bronze) was ranked 28th among 37 countries that won at least one medal in the games.  

The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event  held every four years among atletes from all over Asia.  The Games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  Medals are awarded in each event, with gold for first place, silver for secodn and bronze for third, a tradition which started in 1950.