The 2026 Asian Games will officially start tomorrow, September 19, with the opening ceremony planned to happen in Nagoya, Japan.
The 20th edition of the Asian sports event is being held in Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, bringing athletes from 45 countries and regions. The Games will go on until October 4 with athletes taking part in 43 sports.
The official organisers said the opening ceremony will be at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Saturday, September 19. The ceremony is supposed to start at 6 pm time while the gates will open earlier in the afternoon.
Even though the official start is tomorrow, some competitions have already begun because there is a schedule of events. Some early matches in sports like basketball and others started before the opening ceremony.
The 2026 Asian Games are being hosted by Japan this time. They are hosting the Asian Games for the third time after the Tokyo Games in 1958 and the Hiroshima Games in 1994. Organisers hope thousands of athletes and officials will take part with 17,000 people joining.
This year’s list of sports has some additions beyond the usual Olympic events. New sports include martial arts, padel, surfing, virtual taekwondo and teqball, while esports are still part of the Games.
The event is happening under the theme “Imagine One Asia ” with organisers saying the Games are a chance to bring athletes and fans from all over Asia together through sports.
With the opening ceremony planned for Saturday, the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will officially begin their 16-day competition period tomorrow, with athletes competing against each other for international prestige.