Taking place in 2026, the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya holds a great significance for Japan as it will be the next major competition after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will also provide an opportunity to further encourage international exchange with the rest of Asia. The organizers aim to bring people together beyond the boundaries of language, culture and nationality through sports so that they can imagine their own ‘ONE ASIA’.
The Organising Committee of the Asian Games will promote a wide variety of events to attract more visitors and make the Games more appealing to fans in different countries. It will also seek to leave a lasting legacy for the region and support the growth of sport in Aichi-Nagoya after the Games are over by helping sports clubs, local governments and other organisations involved in sports grow stronger through collaboration with each other.
Cricket and mixed martial arts have been added to the list of competitions for the 2026 Asian Games, which will be co-hosted by Japan’s Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City from September 19 to October 4. Open water swimming has been dropped from the program.
The organising committee says it is speeding up preparations to provide top athletes the ultimate stage for peak performance. The Games will feature 40 sports and around 15,000 athletes and team officials. It will also showcase the richness of Aichi-Nagoya and the surrounding region with an eclectic mix of events, from regional games such as kabaddi and sepak takraw to Olympic disciplines like athletics and swimming.