Nagoya gears up for the 20th Asian Games amid low public excitement
The 20th Asian Games open in Nagoya on Saturday, but ticket sales have lagged and weather disruptions have dampened enthusiasm.
Five years after the pandemic-hit Tokyo Olympics, Japan welcomes spectators to the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, its first Asian Games since Hiroshima 1994. Public enthusiasm is muted, with organisers struggling to move tickets and recent heavy rain causing leaks and brief evacuations at competition sites. The Games feature 469 medal events in 43 sports, expanding the roster with mixed martial arts, padel, surfing, virtual taekwondo, teqball and esports, while removing chess, go, xiangqi, bridge and several others.
Registrations have risen to around 17,000 athletes and officials, exceeding the original 15,000 estimate. To meet housing needs, athletes will stay in temporary facilities, including wooden containers at Garden Pier and a cruise ship docked in the bay. Top competitors such as swimming champion Pan Zhanle, teenage prodigy Yu Zidi, and Filipino tennis star Alex Eala will vie for medals and Olympic qualification spots for Los Angeles 2028.
Why it matters
The Games showcase Japan's effort to revive live sports culture and provide Olympic qualification opportunities for Asian athletes.
How this story developed
- Sep 7 Tokyo weighs permitting North Korean athletes and officials to attend Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games
- Sep 9 Malaysia's Asian Games delegation is closely tracking severe weather and flooding in Aichi and Gifu as the 2026 Games approach.
- Sep 10 Tokyo is now assessing a request to permit a record-sized North Korean delegation to attend the Asian Games.
- Sep 13 Japan raised a level‑five emergency alert following the river overflow.
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