2026 Asian Games
 | |
| Host city | Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan |
|---|---|
| Motto | Imagine One Asia (Japanese: ここで、ひとつに, romanized: Koko de, hitotsu ni)[1] |
| Nations | 48 |
| Opening | 19 September 2026 |
| Closing | 4 October 2026 |
| Opened by | Emperor Naruhito (expected) |
| Main venue | Paloma Mizuho Stadium |
| Website | aichi-nagoya2026 |
| Summer | |
| Winter | |
The 2026 Asian Games (2026年アジア競技大会), also known as 20th Asian Games (第20回アジア競技大会) and Aichi-Nagoya 2026 (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
[edit]The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) selected Aichi prefecture and Nagoya city 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]
| City | NOC | Round 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Aichi and Nagoya[6] |  Japan
|
Unanimous |
Development and preparations
[edit]Costs
[edit]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][7]
Venues
[edit]
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
[edit]| Venue | Sports | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Nippon Gaishi Hall (Rainbow Pool) | Aquatics (water polo) | 3,500 |
| Mizuho Athletic Stadium | Ceremonies, Athletics (track and field, marathon) | 30,000 |
| Downtown Nagoya | Athletics (race walk) | |
| Kinjō-futō Station Square | Basketball (3×3) | |
| IG Arena (Aichi International Arena) | Breaking, Judo, Wrestling | 15,000 |
| Obata Ryokuchi Urban Forest | Cycling (mountain bike) | |
| Nagoya Velodrome | Cycling (BMX racing) | |
| CS Asset Minato Soccer Stadium | Football | 5,400 |
| Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium | Football, Rugby Sevens | 10,600 |
| Aichi Country Club Higashiyama Course | Golf | |
| Nippon Gaishi Hall (Rainbow Hall) | Gymnastics | 5,000 |
| Aichi Budokan | Ju-jitsu, Kurash, Wushu | 1,500 |
| Paloma Mizuho Arena | Sepak Takraw | 1,200 |
| Nagoya International Exhibition Hall | Sport Climbing | 5,900 |
| Nagoya Kinjo Pier Arena | Squash | 2,600 |
| Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center | Tennis, Soft tennis | 4,000 |
| Nagoya City Trade and Industry Centre | Weightlifting |
Outlying venues
[edit]| Venue | City | Sports | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium | Gifu | Football | 16,300 |
| Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium | Kakamigahara | Field hockey | 1,600 |
| Nagaragawa International Regatta Course | Kaizu | Rowing |
| Venue | City | Sports | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furuhashi Hironoshin Memorial Hamamatsu Swimming Centre | Hamamatsu | Aquatics (artistic swimming) | 2,200 |
| Izu Velodrome | Izu | Cycling (track) | 1,800 |
| Shizuoka Stadium | Fukuroi | Football | 50,900 |
| Venue | City | Sports | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Aquatics Centre | Kōtō | Aquatics (diving, swimming) | 5,000 |
| Tokyo Equestrian Park | Setagaya | Equestrian | 1,500 |
Outlying football venues
[edit]| Venue | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Kyoto Stadium | Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture | 21,600 |
| Nagai Stadium | Osaka, Osaka Prefecture | 47,800 |
| Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium | Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture | 45,000 |
Marketing
[edit]Emblem
[edit]The emblem of the Games was unveiled during a ceremony on 1 April 2020; Each colour has its own meaning with purple representing the iris laevigata, gold is for Shachihoko, the golden tiger-fish roof ornaments which are the symbol of Nagoya Castle, while the green represents environmental consciousness.[8]
Mascot
[edit]
The mascots of the Games, Honohon (Japanese: ホノホン) was unveiled on 14 July 2024.[9]
Motto
[edit]The official motto of the 2026 Asian Games, "Imagine One Asia" was announced on 1 April 2020 to mark six years before the opening ceremony.[1]
The Games
[edit]Sports
[edit]| 2026 Asian Games Sports Programme [10] |
|---|
|
Core Sports
[edit]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:
- Wushu (sport) (East Asia)
- Sepak takraw (Southeast Asia)
- Kabaddi (South Asia)
- Kurash (Central Asia)
- Jujitsu (West Asia)
Five sports that will be part of the 2020, 2024, and 2028 Summer Olympics programs:
Sport that entered due an agreement between AINAGOC (Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee) and the OCA:
A final decision on inclusion of cricket is expected in 2025, with Asian Cricket Council having pushed for the bid and OCA President Randhir Singh "hopeful" for it.[11][12] Cricket was reintroduced to 2022 Asian Games at Hangzhou as well as the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[13]
Participation
[edit]All 45 National Olympic Committees who are members of the Olympic Council of Asia are expected to send delegations, Australia, Guam and New Zealand Invitee a Asian Games.
See also
[edit]- Asian Games celebrated in Japan
- 2026 Asian Para Games
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Aichi-Nagoya announces 'Imagine One Asia' as slogan for 2026 Asian Games". ocasia.org. Olympic Council of Asia. 18 October 2019. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020.
- ^ "2026 Asian Games to be held in autumn to avoid summer heat in Japan". Xinhuanet. xinhuanet.com. 19 August 2018. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- ^ a b Butler, Nick (25 September 2016). "Aichi and Nagoya officially awarded 2026 Asian Games". Inside the Games. insidethegames.biz. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ a b Mackay, Duncan (15 September 2016). "Joint bid from Nagoya and Aichi for 2026 Asian Games approved by JOC after budget dispute settled". inside the games. insidethegames.biz. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "Nagoya 2026 Asian Games: Mayor promises 'fun', even as Japan looks at packed international schedule". F.Sports. firstpost.com. 25 September 2016. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "HOST CITY CONTRACT" (PDF). Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 June 2023.
- ^ "Master Plan 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026" (PDF). Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ "Logo revealed for 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ "Meet Honohon – the mascot of the 20th Asian Games 2026". Olympic Coucil of Asia. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ "Sports Program/Competition Venues | About the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Games｜20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 AICHI-NAGOYA ASIAN GAMES ORGANIZING COMMITTEE". Archived from the original on 2 August 2024.
- ^ Lavalette, Tristan (25 October 2024). "Amid Asian Games Uncertainty, Cricket Axed At 2026 Commonwealth Games Ahead Of Olympics". Forbes. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ Tagore, Vijay (2 October 2024). "Doubts arise over cricket's inclusion in 2026 Asian Games". Cricbuzz. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "LA28 cricket likely to be held on East Coast to attract Indian viewership". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
External links
[edit]| Summer Games |  | |
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| Winter Games | ||
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