Nagoya Asian Games 2026

Imagine standing in a stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on a warm September evening. The lights are bright, the crowd is buzzing, and athletes from all over Asia are walking in together, waving their flags. This is the opening ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games, also called the Nagoya Asian Games. It will be the biggest sports party Asia has ever seen, and it is happening from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

What are the Asian Games, anyway?

The Asian Games are like the Olympics, but only for countries in Asia. Every four years, thousands of athletes from places like China, Japan, India, and Hong Kong gather to compete in dozens of sports. The first Asian Games were held in 1951 in New Delhi, India. Since then, the games have grown bigger and bigger. The 2026 games in Nagoya will be the 20th time the event has happened. Nagoya is the third city in Japan to host the Asian Games, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

What sports will you see in Nagoya?

There will be 43 different sports, from swimming and running to basketball and badminton. Some sports might be new to you, like breaking (also called breakdancing), which is making its Asian Games debut. There is also esports, where players compete in video games on a big stage. Many of the events will take place in and around Nagoya, but some will be as far away as Tokyo, about 350 kilometres to the east. The main stadium is the Mizuho Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, where the opening and closing ceremonies will happen.

How are Hong Kong athletes getting ready?

Hong Kong sends a strong team to the Asian Games every time. Athletes from Hong Kong have won medals in sports like fencing, cycling, swimming, and table tennis. For the 2026 games, Hong Kong's athletes are training hard. They practice every day, sometimes for hours, to be ready for the competition. The Hong Kong Sports Institute helps them with coaches, equipment, and places to train. You might see some of these athletes on the news or even in your neighbourhood, running or cycling to stay fit.

What is special about the Nagoya games?

The organisers are doing some things differently. Instead of building a big new athletes' village, they will use a cruise ship called the Costa Serena as a floating hotel for about 4,000 athletes. Other athletes will stay in special temporary houses made to look like shipping containers, or in hotels nearby. The games also have a mascot named Honohon, which looks like a golden dolphin-like creature called a shachihoko. The shachihoko is a mythical animal from Japanese folklore that is said to protect buildings from fire. The motto of the games is "Imagine One Asia," which means bringing all of Asia together as one.