Kathmandu, August 20
Just one month remains to kick off 20th Asian Games (Asiad) in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (ANAGOC) marked the one-month milestone ahead of the Games, which will run from September 19 to October 4.
According to the OCA, the 16-day competition will bring together more than 11,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries along with 6,000 officials.
The 20th Asian Games will feature 71 disciplines across 43 sports, comprising a total of 469 events, with 1,407 medals up for grabs.
The OCA has said the Games are expected to mark a historic celebration in the history of Asian sport.
Japan is hosting the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games under the official slogan “Imagine One Asia.” This will be the third time Japan has hosted the Asian Games, having previously done so successfully in Tokyo (1958) and Hiroshima (1994).
Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is set to become a major moment for uniting the continent as Asia’s premier multi-sport festival. The OCA says 10,200 volunteers will assist with the Games, while 5,300 accredited media personnel will carry news and coverage of the competition to audiences worldwide, with hundreds of millions of viewers expected to follow the action live and across various platforms. Japan says it is ready to deliver an unforgettable sporting festival for Asia’s athletes.
OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani said the Games, representing the largest and most diverse continent within the Olympic family, would showcase the true strength of unity, solidarity and shared vision that can bring Asia together.
He added that Japan brings world-class experience in hosting major international sporting events, expressing confidence that Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will set new standards for future editions, empower youth, and inspire the next generation of Asian athletes.
OCA Director General Hussain Al-Musallam, meanwhile, thanked Japan for helping prepare the biggest stage for Asian athletes as the one-month countdown to Aichi-Nagoya 2026 began. He said the Games would create unforgettable moments not just for people in Japan but for millions across Asia, forge lifelong friendships through sport, promote peace through diversity, and build a legacy reaching every corner of the vast continent.
The opening ceremony of Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will be held with grand festivities on September 19, with the Games concluding alongside the closing ceremony on October 4. Nations across Asia are gearing up for this more-than-two-week-long world-class sporting event.
