Since 1951, there have been changes on sports played in each Asian Games, and here are the major sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic, of the past Asian Games.

The main sports are: football, gymnastics, fencing, tennis, equestrian, golf, handball, hockey, karate, athletics, kabaddi, swimming and diving, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, basketball, shooting, canoeing, judo, weightlifting, archery, baseball and softball, boxing, bowling, cricket, cycling, modern pentathlon, rowing, rugby, sepak takraw, sailing, squash, taekwondo, triathlon, wrestling, wushu.