The 20th Asian Games officially opened in Nagoya on Saturday, bringing together more than 11,000 athletes from 45 nations and regions for one of the biggest sporting events on the Asian calendar.
The opening ceremony at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium marks the beginning of a competition featuring 43 sports and 369 gold-medal events. While several competitions have already begun, the first gold medals are expected to be awarded on Sunday.
This year’s Games feature a mixture of traditional Asian sports and newer disciplines. Esports returns after its debut at the Hangzhou Asian Games, while teqball and virtual taekwondo are making their Asian Games debut.
The swimming programme is also expected to attract major international attention, with Chinese world-record holder Pan Zhanle among the athletes scheduled to compete.
However, the Games have reached their opening day following a series of logistical concerns involving accommodation, registration and transportation. Several delegations have reported problems with athlete housing and transport arrangements.
The Olympic Council of Asia has acknowledged the difficulties and described them as issues that organisers have been working to resolve.
The opening ceremony, themed “Harmonic Heart Beat,” is designed to highlight Asian unity and cultural diversity as athletes from across the continent gather in Japan.
With competition now underway, attention will shift from the organisational challenges to the performances on the field, in the pool and across the many venues hosting the 2026 Asian Games.
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