Asian Games 2026
The countdown to the Asian Games 2026 has officially gathered momentum with a special torch-lighting ceremony held in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japanese sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu lit the torch at the National Stadium, marking an important step towards the 20th Asian Games, which will be hosted by Nagoya and the wider Aichi region.
The Games are scheduled to take place from September 19 to October 4. Around 15,000 athletes and officials are expected to participate in the multi-sport event.
The Asian Games are among the biggest multi-sport competitions in the world. The upcoming edition will bring together athletes from across Asia for nearly three weeks of competition.
The torch-lighting ceremony at Tokyo’s National Stadium carried a special significance for Japan.
The venue hosted major events during the Tokyo Olympics, which were held in 2021 after being postponed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most Olympic events in Tokyo were conducted without spectators because of public-health restrictions.
Kiryu said the return of spectators to major sporting events would provide athletes with an important source of energy.
According to the Japanese sprinter, the cheers from fans can give competitors additional motivation during major competitions. He also stressed that watching sporting events inside a stadium offers an experience that cannot be fully replicated through television broadcasts.
The Asian Games will therefore provide an opportunity for Japanese sporting venues to once again welcome large crowds and create a festival-like atmosphere.
The torch programme will continue beyond Tokyo.
A similar ceremony is scheduled to take place in Hiroshima on Thursday. The city hosted the Asian Games in 1994, while Tokyo was the host of the continental sporting event in 1958.
The two flames will then be brought together in Nagoya on Saturday. The combined flame will officially begin the Asian Games torch relay.
The sequence of ceremonies is designed to connect Japan’s sporting history with the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Games.
The torch relay will become one of the major symbolic events leading up to the opening of the competition on September 19.
Several young and emerging athletes are expected to attract attention during the Games.
Philippine tennis star Alexandra Eala is among the notable names expected to compete. India will also have a major talking point in teenage cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who is only 15 years old.
China’s 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi is another young athlete expected to generate interest. Her participation will highlight the growing presence of teenage talents on the Asian sporting stage.
The organisers have also prepared unusual accommodation arrangements for participants. Athletes and officials will stay in different types of accommodation, including a cruise ship that will remain docked during Japan’s typhoon season.
With the torch ceremonies now underway, excitement around the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is expected to increase rapidly.
Tokyo’s ceremony has provided the first major visual symbol of the Games. The next major moment will come on Saturday, when the flames from Tokyo and Hiroshima are brought together in Nagoya.
The Asian Games 2026 will then move towards the September 19 opening, with thousands of athletes preparing to compete for continental honours.
For Japan, the event represents another opportunity to showcase its sporting infrastructure and organisational capabilities. For athletes across Asia, it will be a chance to compete on one of the continent’s biggest sporting stages.
© Copyright 2026, cloudTV. All Rights Reserved
