2026 Asian Games Explained

XX Asian Games
Motto:Imagine One Asia (Japanese: ここで、ひとつに|Koko de, hitotsu ni)[1]
Host City:Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Nations:45
Opening:19 September 2026
Closing:4 October 2026
Opened By:Emperor Naruhito (expected)
Stadium:Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Website:aichi-nagoya2026.org
Spreviouss:Hangzhou 2022
Snexts:Doha 2030
Sprevious:Harbin 2025
Snext:Trojena 2029

The 2026 Asian Games (Japanese: 2026年アジア競技大会|2026-nen Ajia kyōgi taikai|2026 Asian Sports Competition), also known as 20th Asian Games (Japanese: 第20回アジア競技大会|Dai-20-kai Ajia kyōgi taikai|20th Asian Sports Competition) and Aichi-Nagoya 2026 (Japanese: 愛知/名古屋2026), will be a multi-sport event celebrated around the Aichi Prefecture in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. The prefecture capital Nagoya will be the epicenter of the events.[2] Nagoya will be the third Japanese city to host the Asian Games, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The event is set to return to its traditional 4-year cycle, after the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China were postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bidding process

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) selected Nagoya to host the Games at their annual general assembly session in Danang, Vietnam, on September 25, 2016.[3] The bid was initially in threat of falling apart after a budget dispute between Aichi Prefecture and its capital Nagoya, but was resolved, allowing the bid to be accepted.[4] The OCA originally planned to choose the 2026 host city in 2018, but brought the planning date forward due to the intensity of the region's sporting calendar, including the next three Olympic Games between 2018 and 2022 (held in Pyeongchang, Tokyo and Beijing).[5]

+ 2026 Asian Games bidding results
CityNOCalign=center bgcolor="silver" Round 1
NagoyaUnanimous

Development and preparations

Costs

The city of Nagoya received an estimate of roughly ¥85 billion in costs from the Aichi Prefecture government for the event, 30% of which is expected to be covered by sponsorships and other revenue, while the remainder is planned to be split on a 70–30 basis between Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture.[4]

Venues

In addition to Nagoya, 16 other cities across Aichi Prefecture and main Japanese Metropolitan Regions will host Games events. This list includes 6 cities or yards in the Greater Tokyo Area that their venues also hosted events during the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The plan is that Paloma Mizuho Stadium will host both the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics, Nippon Gaishi Hall is to be used for both gymnastics and aquatics, the Vantelin Dome Nagoya is to be used for baseball, and the Toyota Stadium is to be used as football main venue.[3]

Nagoya

VenueSportsCapacity
Nippon Gaishi Hall (Rainbow Pool)Aquatics (water polo)3,500
Mizuho Athletic StadiumCeremonies, Athletics (track and field, marathon)30,000
Downtown NagoyaAthletics (race walk)
Kinjō-futō Station SquareBasketball (3×3)
IG Arena (Aichi International Arena)Breaking, Judo, Wrestling15,000
Obata Ryokuchi Urban ForestCycling (mountain bike)
Nagoya VelodromeCycling (BMX racing)
CS Asset Minato Soccer StadiumFootball5,400
Paloma Mizuho Rugby StadiumFootball, Rugby Sevens10,600
Aichi Country Club Higashiyama CourseGolf
Nippon Gaishi Hall (Rainbow Hall)Gymnastics5,000
Aichi BudokanJu-jitsu, Kurash, Wushu1,500
Paloma Mizuho ArenaSepak Takraw1,200
Nagoya International Exhibition HallSport Climbing5,900
Nagoya Kinjo Pier ArenaSquash2,600
Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis CenterTennis, Soft tennis4,000
Nagoya City Trade and Industry CentreWeightlifting

Aichi Prefecture

VenueCitySportsCapacity
Shinmaiko Marine ParkChitaAquatics (marathon swimming)
Okazaki Central ParkOkazakiArchery
Ichinomiya City Municipal GymnasiumIchinomiyaBadminton2,000
Okazaki Municipal Baseball StadiumOkazakiBaseball20,000
Toyohashi Municipal Baseball StadiumToyohashiBaseball15,900
Anjō Softball GroundAnjōSoftball2,500
Wing Arena KariyaKariyaBasketball (5×5)2,400
Nishio City General GymnasiumNishioBoxing2,900
Miyoshi LakeMiyoshiCanoeing (sprint)
Yahagi River Canoe Slalom CourseToyotaCanoeing (slalom)
Shinshiro Road Cycling CourseShinshiroCycling (road)
Aichi Sky ExpoTokonameCycling (BMX freestyle), eSports, Fencing, Skateboarding
Toyota StadiumToyotaFootball44,400
Wave Stadium KariyaKariyaFootball2,600
Kasugai City General GymnasiumKasugaiHandball3,000
Toyoda Gosei Memorial GymnasiumInazawaHandball3,000
Tōkai Citizens GymnasiumTōkaiKabaddi1,300
Toyohashi City General GymnasiumToyohashiKarate, Taekwondo3,000
Anjō Sports ParkAnjōModern Pentathlon1,700
Kaiyoh Yacht HarborGamagōriSailing, Triathlon
Aichi General Shooting RangeToyotaShooting
Akabane Long BeachTaharaSurfing
Sky Hall ToyotaToyotaTable Tennis4,400
Okazaki Central Park General GymnasiumOkazakiVolleyball (indoor)4,900
Park Arena KomakiKomakiVolleyball (indoor)3,000
Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach CourtHekinanBeach Volleyball

Outlying venues

Gifu Prefecture
VenueCitySportsCapacity
Gifu Nagaragawa StadiumGifuFootball16,300
Gifu Prefectural Green StadiumKakamigaharaField hockey1,600
Nagaragawa International Regatta CourseKaizuRowing
Shizuoka Prefecture
VenueCitySportsCapacity
Furuhashi Hironoshin Memorial Hamamatsu Swimming CentreHamamatsuAquatics (artistic swimming)2,200
Izu VelodromeIzuCycling (track)1,800
Shizuoka StadiumFukuroiFootball50,900
Tokyo
VenueCitySportsCapacity
Tokyo Aquatics CentreKōtōAquatics (diving, swimming)5,000
Tokyo Equestrian ParkSetagayaEquestrian1,500
Outlying football venues
VenueLocationCapacity
Kyoto StadiumKameoka, Kyoto Prefecture21,600
Nagai StadiumOsaka, Osaka Prefecture47,800
Kobe Universiade Memorial StadiumKobe, Hyōgo Prefecture45,000

The Games

Sports

Core Sports

33 sports from the 2024 Summer Olympics (including surfing as a new sport) + 9 other sports.

Five regional sports that was nominated by each region of the Olympic Council of Asia:

  1. Wushu (sport) (East Asia)
  2. Sepak takraw (Southeast Asia)
  3. Kabaddi (South Asia)
  4. Kurash (Central Asia)
  5. Jujitsu (West Asia)

Five sports that will be part of the 2020, 2024, and 2028 Summer Olympics programs:

  1. Baseball/Softball
  2. Dancesport (Breakdancing)
    1. Karate Roller sports (Skateboarding)
  3. Squash

Sport that entered due a common sense between AINAGOC (Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee) and the OCA:

  1. Esports

Participation

All 45 National Olympic Committees who are members of the Olympic Council of Asia are expected to send delegations.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Aichi-Nagoya announces 'Imagine One Asia' as slogan for 2026 Asian Games. ocasia.org . Olympic Council of Asia. 18 October 2019.
  2. News: 2026 Asian Games to be held in autumn to avoid summer heat in Japan. https://web.archive.org/web/20181023080247/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-08/19/c_137402371.htm. dead. October 23, 2018. 23 October 2018. Xinhuanet. xinhuanet.com. 19 August 2018.
  3. News: Butler. Nick. Aichi and Nagoya officially awarded 2026 Asian Games. 15 October 2016. inside the games. insidethegames.biz. 25 September 2016.
  4. News: Mackay. Duncan. Joint bid from Nagoya and Aichi for 2026 Asian Games approved by JOC after budget dispute settled. 15 October 2016. inside the games. insidethegames.biz. 15 September 2016.
  5. News: Nagoya 2026 Asian Games: Mayor promises 'fun', even as Japan looks at packed international schedule. 15 October 2016. F.Sports. firstpost.com. 25 September 2016.
  6. Web site: Sports Program/Competition Venues | About the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Games|20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 AICHI-NAGOYA ASIAN GAMES ORGANIZING COMMITTEE .