The 2026 Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi Prefecture and its capital Nagoya. It will be the third time Japan has hosted the event, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
The Asian Games 2026 Organizing Committee (AINAGOC) has approved the inclusion of cricket and mixed martial arts for the next edition of Asia’s second biggest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. The decisions were made at AINAGOC’s 41st board meeting, which took place this week in the Japanese city of Nagoya.
MMA will be making its Asian Games debut and is classed as Combat Sports along with kurash, boxing and judo. Cricket has featured in three of the previous Asian Games but lost its medal status after a brief return at Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014. However, it is a popular sport and will be eagerly watched when it makes its full return to the Games in 2026.
It will be the first time that a mixed team will compete in the sport, which is traditionally only for men. A total of 16 teams will compete in the event, which is likely to attract many fans from across Japan and Asia. The organizers are still trying to decide where the matches will be staged as the city of Nagoya does not have a dedicated venue for the sport. They are considering municipalities including Sano in Tochigi Prefecture, which has a number of cricket facilities.