The Asian Games begin in Japan this weekend, with more than 10,000 athletes from 45 nations fighting for continental supremacy.
Athletes will compete across 43 sporting events from September 19 to October 4 in Japan’s Nagoya and the Aichi region.
Here is everything you need to know about the continental competition, which will be held in Japan for the third time.
History
The Asian Games are the second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympics.
The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi in 1951. Only seven nations - India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Thailand - have competed in all editions.
The next two editions of the Asian Games will move to the Middle East, with Doha hosting the event in 2030 and Riyadh in 2034.
Preparations
The build-up to the 2026 Asian Games has been far from smooth. Organisers had to scramble to secure accommodation for around 17,000-plus athletes and officials who had registered for the event – a figure well above the projected 15,000.
In the absence of a dedicated Games Village, organisers have relied on hotels, cabins and a cruise ship to keep costs low.
Then, Japan witnessed heavy rains which affected preparations. Hundreds of athletes and officials were briefly evacuated from Nagoya after heavy rains lashed the city. Torrential rain flooded roads and water entered some of the venues set to host events. But the Games are still going ahead.
Schedule
The Games have already started with preliminary rounds in events like basketball. However, the Opening Ceremony takes place on Saturday, September 19, at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya.
Teams
China is the undisputed heavyweight. The country has sent a mammoth squad of 815 athletes. China has topped both the gold-medal and overall tallies at every Asian Games since 1982. Its travelling contingent includes 36 Olympic champions.
At the previous Asian Games, China finished with a staggering 201 gold medals, followed by Japan (52 golds), South Korea (42) and India (28).
Among the top names who will be eyeing medals in Japan are Philippine tennis sensation Alex Eala, China’s two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion artistic gymnast Zou Jingyuan, Japan’s former women's World No 1 and three-time world champion badminton star Akane Yamaguchi and India’s double T20 world champion men’s team, among others.
The UAE will also be present at the Games. The national contingent will include 165 athletes, comprising 117 male and 48 female athletes, who will compete across 23 disciplines.
They include athletics, swimming, taekwondo, padel tennis, football, esports, equestrian – show jumping and dressage – cycling, archery, rowing, sailing, fencing, golf, shooting, judo, modern pentathlon, triathlon, jiu-jitsu, rugby, weightlifting, boxing and karate.
The UAE’s participation in modern pentathlon and padel tennis will mark the country’s first appearance in both events at the Asian Games.
The UAE men’s national football team will open the country’s campaign at the Games against Iran on Wednesday after being drawn in Group B alongside China, North Korea and Iran.
The national football team includes some familiar names such as Yahya Al Ghassani, Junior Ndiaye and Mackenzie Hunt.
Participating nations and regions: Afghanistan, Asian Refugee Team, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen
Where to watch?
The Asian Games 2026 will be shown live on the streaming platform TOD in the UAE.
