Inside Aichi-Nagoya 2026: Japan’s unique approach to hosting the Asian Games
The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya will bring together athletes from across Asia under the slogan “IMAGINE ONE ASIA” from September 19, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing JIJI PRESS.
Asia’s largest sporting event will run for 16 days, featuring 43 sports across 53 venues. The 5th Asian Para Games, the first to be held in Japan, will follow from October 18, with 18 sports across 19 venues over seven days.
About 15,000 athletes and team officials from all 45 countries and regions represented in the Olympic Council of Asia are expected to participate, including delegations from the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Japan previously hosted the Asian Games in Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994, making Aichi-Nagoya 2026 the third Asian Games held in Japan.
New sports and a cruise ship for athletes
The program includes traditional Asian sports such as sepaktakraw and kabaddi, as well as new sports including padel, teqball, freestyle BMX and esports. Combat sports, including jiu jitsu, kurash, kenpo, wushu, and mixed martial arts, will also be featured.
Instead of building a traditional athletes’ village, to keep costs as low as possible, organizers will accommodate several thousand team members aboard the Italian Costa Serena cruise ship, moored at Nagoya’s Kinjo Pier.
Most competition venues are existing facilities upgraded for the Games. Paloma Mizuho Stadium, the main venue and site of the opening and closing ceremonies, has been renovated to seat 30,000 spectators.
Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will be Japan’s largest international multi-sport event since the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2021, with organizers aiming to strengthen friendship and exchange across Asia.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that this year, about 80% of Kazakhstan’s national team members held their final training camps directly in the host country of the Asian Games.
