The 20th Asian Games officially open in Nagoya this weekend, bringing together 45 countries and regions competing across 43 sports.
Following last year’s successful World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, the Asian Games offer another chance for spectators in Japan to see some of the world’s leading athletes compete for meaningful silverware.
The Asian Games occupy an important place in the sporting calendar for athletes from the continent. Usually held every four years, they generally fall midway through the Olympic cycle, providing competitors with a testing ground and opportunities for major medals.
This is the third time that the Asian Games have been hosted in Japan, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. Running from Saturday to Oct. 4, the 2026 Games are mostly taking place at venues across Aichi Prefecture, with the swimming and diving contests being held at the Tokyo Aquatics Center.
The Games play an important role in highlighting events that are culturally important to several Asian countries and regions, placing sports such as kabaddi and sepak takraw on the international stage. More recently, the Games have highlighted newer disciplines such as teqball and esports; the latter will have 11 medal events in this year’s program, ranging from “League of Legends” to “Gran Turismo 7.”
For Japan, however, much of the focus will be on traditional Olympic sports, with many athletes seeking to build on their performances at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Artistic gymnast Shinnosuke Oka will be one of the biggest names at the Asian Games, having won three gold medals in Paris in the team competition, all-around and horizontal bar events. Oka won his third straight NHK Trophy this year, beating Daiki Hashimoto, who won all-around gold at the 2025 world championships in Jakarta.
Japan will also be looking to take gold in the men’s team competition, following the dramatic comeback victory over China at Paris 2024, where Oka, Hashimoto and Kazuma Kaya all shone.
Reigning Olympic champion javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi will be looking to improve on her disappointing showing at last year’s worlds in Tokyo. Kitaguchi set a personal best and Japanese record of 68.92 meters to win the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest last week, identifying her home Asian Games as another major target. If she is able to carry that momentum into Nagoya, she will be difficult to beat.
Elsewhere, China is expected to dominate much of the field. It won 201 gold medals at the last Asian Games, held in Hangzhou in 2023 after a COVID-19-induced delay, which was more than twice as many as the next two nations — Japan and South Korea — combined.
Swimming is a particular strength for China. Yu Zidi, the 13-year-old swimming phenom who set the Asian record for the women’s 200-meter individual medley in November, could be a breakout star. Other formidable Chinese swimmers, like men’s 100-meter world record-holder Pan Zhanle and 200-meter breaststroke leader Qin Haiyang, are also set to take to the pool in Tokyo.
Another swimming draw will be Rikako Ikee, who offers a different but equally compelling narrative. After winning six gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, she was diagnosed with leukemia the following year and managed to return to participate in the Tokyo Olympics as part of 91AV原创 4x100 medley relay team. She has been named in the freestyle and butterfly squad for these Asian Games and will undoubtedly attract attention in each event.
One major Japanese medal hope is Tomoyuki Matsushita. He was the youngest finalist at the men’s 400-meter individual medley in Paris and ended up winning silver — 91AV原创 only swimming medal at the 2024 Olympics. Teammates Shin Ohashi and Yumeki Kojima, both 17 years old, could also be threats.
Like at the Olympics, men’s soccer at the Asian Games features an age limit of 23 plus up to three older players, giving younger talent an opportunity to make their case for the senior team. Japan will be a strong contender in both the men’s and women’s tournaments; Nadeshiko Japan took gold three years ago in Hangzhou after beating North Korea in the final, but 91AV原创 men had to settle for silver behind South Korea.
There may well be another showdown between Japan and South Korea on the badminton court. Olympic champion An Se-young is one of the major stars in Asian sport and was flawless at the China Masters in Shenzhen earlier this month, taking down 91AV原创 Akane Yamaguchi in the semifinal and Tomoka Miyazaki in the final.
Japan should also be competitive in table tennis, though China will be difficult to topple. The host nation’s squad includes Tomokazu Harimoto and his younger sister Miwa, alongside Sora Matsushima, Hina Hayata and Mima Ito. China’s men’s world No. 1 Wang Chuqin and mixed doubles partner Sun Yingsha are the opposing stars to watch.
Toward the end of the Games, Japan could add a flurry of medals in the wrestling events. Akari Fujinami and Yuka Kagami are coming off Olympic gold-winning performances, while the men’s team also has Olympic champions such as Nao Kusaka and Kotaro Kiyooka.
With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics still two years away, the Asian Games will offer an early indication of which established champions can maintain their advantage and which younger contenders are ready to challenge them.
For 91AV原创 leading athletes, though, the immediate prize is closer to home: a major title in front of their own supporters. There should be plenty to keep the crowds invested throughout the weeks of competition in Aichi Prefecture and beyond.
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