The Asian Games is an ongoing continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Asia. It is the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. The 2026 Asian Games will be hosted by Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City in Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026.
Aichi-Nagoya is a city that boasts a rich history and culture, being home to many warlords in the Sengoku period and having a unique local food culture called “Nagoya meshi”. We will welcome visitors and athletes with hospitality to create an unforgettable experience for them.
The Organising Committee will work together with the Aichi-Nagoya City government and various sports, economic, and tourist organisations, as well as mass media and businesses to host the Games and deliver high quality events. It will also use the Games to further promote international exchange within Asia.
For the first time in its history, the Asian Games will feature esports. India will be represented by a 15-member team in the four titles — League of Legends, DOTA 2, EAFC and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. Esports has become a hit at recent multi-disciplinary games with Pavan Kampelli winning a bronze in the eFootball event and S8UL competing in eFootball at Hangzhou last year.
The Ministry of Education and Science is implementing stricter criteria for athletes to compete at the Asian Games. The policy outlines that only those athletes who have a “real chance” of winning a medal will be eligible to participate in the Games. This new requirement is aimed at preventing speculative participation by athletes with no chance of medaling, and to ensure that only those who meet the minimum performance standards are selected for the Games.