The 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (第二十九届夏季奥林匹克运动会), was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to 24, 2008.[a] A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 28 sports and 302 events (a total of one event more than the schedule of the 2004 Games). China became the 22nd nation to host the Olympic Games and the 18th to hold a Summer Olympic Games. It was the third time that the Summer Olympic Games were held in Asia, after Tokyo, Japan, in 1964 and Seoul, South Korea, in 1988. The equestrian events were held in Hong Kong, making it the third time the events of the same Olympics were held under the jurisdiction of two different NOCs[b], while sailing was contested in Qingdao, and football events took place in several different cities.