The First Asian Martial Arts Games closed here Sunday with a closing ceremony at the Indoor Stadium Sports Complex, Bangkok's Hua Mark.

The First Asian Martial Arts Games started on Aug. 1 in Bangkok, capital of Thailand.

The host country entertained the audiences of the closing ceremony with the overture by the Bangkok Xylophone band, which was followed by the special shows: "The Spirit Goes On" and "The Games of Arts."

After the special shows, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu, the chairman of the closing ceremony and Timothy Tsun Ting Fok, Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), East Asia attended the ceremony.

The games, which represented the pride, happiness and friendship among the members, was successfully organized by Thailand's Olympic Committee, Fok told the audiences as he was giving the closing speech on behalf of the OCA.

After declaring the close of the First Asian Martial Arts Games by Fok, the OCA flag was lowered from the flagpole and handed over to Fok, who forwarded it to Haider Farman, Manager of the OCA Asian Games Department.

The flag will later be handed over to the next host country of the Asian Indoor Games.

After that at 19.00 pm, the extinguishing of the symbolic flame was held, which is the symbol of the ending of the First Asian Martial Arts Games in Thailand.

Some 1,450 sportsmen from 40 countries and regions had participated in the 9-day games competing in nine Asian martial arts games.

Host country Thailand ranked first with 21 gold medals, 17 silver and 16 bronze medals, totaling 54.

The 21 gold medals came from the muay Thai, jujitsu, kickboxing, pencak silat, kurush, and taekwondo games.

The silver and bronze medals were from the kurash, jujitsu, taekwondo, pencak silat, judo, karate-do, wushu and kungfu games, and kickboxing matches.

Kazakhstan ranked second as the country had 15 gold, seven silver and 12 bronze medals from judo, kickboxing, kurash, taekwondo, karate-do, and muay Thai contests.

The third place went to South Korea, with 10 gold, six silver and three bronze medals from the taekwondo, judo, karate-do, and wushu and kungfu competition.

China ranked fourth as China's sportsmen took nine gold, five silver and five bronze medals from the karate-do, taekwondo, wushu and kungfu, and muay Thai matches.

Japan ranked fifth with nine gold, two silver and three bronze medals from the judo, karate-do, and taekwondo games.

"It's very pleasing to see the first time some countries receiving gold medals including Bhutan and Brunei. Martial Arts are our heritage in Asia, not only the sports, but also in some cases from a spiritual perspective. Thailand deserved their victory," Fok told a press conference here on Saturday evening.

In a related development, the website by Bangkok Post on Sunday quoted Maj. Ben. Charouck Arirachakaran, Vice President and Secretary General of the National Olympic Council of Thailand as saying "the natural talent of youngsters was revealed during the past week. I believe the Games also showed that juvenile delinquency, shooting, killing and maiming people that we see in the world today could be reduced if martial arts were encouraged and practiced all over the world."

Meanwhile, the Asian Martial Arts Games will be combined with the 2013 Asian Indoor Games since there are six sports similar to each other, according to the OCA.

"Three countries, Bahrain, Qatar and Turkmenistan, are bidding for hosting the Games," Husain Al-Mussallam, Director General and Technical Director of OCA disclosed here on Saturday.