John Duerden has covered Asian sport for over 20 years for The Guardian, Associated Press, ESPN, BBC, New York Times, as well as various Asian media. He is also the author of four books.
This week sees the start of the Asian Games. The delayed tournament, taking place now because of China’s strict lockdown policies last year to prevent the spread of COVID, will see the best gamers from around Asia competing in 7 events.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the world's most-followed sportsmen with hundreds of millions of adoring fans. For one Qatari superfan, his admiration for the player led him to Saudi Arabia where he presented his idol with a personalised piece of art.
The Atlas Lionesses, Morocco's women's football team, hope to follow their male counterparts with a historic World Cup run. The only team representing the Arab world in the tournament, the team hopes to muster regional support.
Yemen has made the quarter-finals of the Asia U17 championships & will play Iran on Sunday - if they win, they qualify for the U17 World Cup. For a country that's been suffering immensely due to years of conflict, this would be an amazing achievement
In-depth: The push to bring top players to the league amid changes to club ownership structures, together with financial firepower, are all signs of Saudi Arabia's ambitions in the sport.
In-depth: In the pursuit of state branding and commercial success, the Portuguese superstar will serve as an ambassador for both Saudi Arabian football and the country itself.
Analysis: The display of Arab football at the Qatar World Cup has furthered the case for splitting the Asian Football Confederation, which could ease tensions and allow each region of the continent to thrive.
Morocco's Atlas Lions' have defied all expectations by storming into the World Cup quarter-finals. Can the North African side dream of glory? And what impact will Morocco's success have on the footballing prospects of the region as a whole?
Ever since Egypt appeared at the 1934 World Cup, the second-ever edition of football’s biggest event, Arab teams have been trying to make their mark. Here are some of the biggest moments the region has enjoyed on the global stage.
