From 19 September to 4 October 2026, athletes and team officials from 45 nations and regions will compete at the Asian Games. This is the 20th edition of Asia’s largest multi-sport event and it is co-hosted by the city of Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture. The main venue will be the Mizuho Athletic Stadium.
This month’s edition of Asian Games News features a look at the upcoming events at the Nagoya and Aichi Games with a special focus on sport climbing and skateboarding which have both featured at the past two games. The article also takes a close look at the newly redesigned Asian Games mascot Honohon whose appearance has been well received by the local community.
The latest news bulletin from the organisers of the 2026 Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya, highlights some of the sports on the programme and a glimpse at 10 proposed competition venues. It is expected that around 40 sports will be contested and 15,000 athletes and team officials are expected to participate.
At the 41st AINAGOC Board of Directors meeting held on April 28, cricket and mixed martial arts were both formally approved to be included in the 2026 Asian Games. Both will be held at the Aichi Prefecture, though the exact venues have not yet been decided. MMA will feature six medal events and be classed as a discipline under Combat Sports along with kurash and jujitsu.
Founded in 1951, the Asian Games were advocated by Neru, the first Prime Minister of India, who wanted to reestablish bonds between Asian countries that had been broken by World War II and contribute to everlasting peace. The Games have since become Asia’s biggest sporting event and are organized every four years by the Olympic Council of Asia.