Asian Games 2026 opens in Japan with 11,000 athletes competing | LIVE updates

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Flags of various countries during the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on September 19, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI

T he 20th Asian Games officially opened in Nagoya on Saturday (September 19, 2026), with India fielding athletes across multiple disciplines. The Games run till October 4.

The next 15 days will see around 11,000 athletes from 45 nations competing in 43 sports, 71 sub-events, and a total of 469 gold medals. Competitions for basketball, football, cricket and some other events have already started.

India heads into the tournament looking to build on its record-breaking performance at Hangzhou 2023, where it won 107 medals, including 28 gold. India will look to defend its men’s and women’s cricket titles as well as the men’s and women’s kabaddi crowns. The men’s hockey team also enters the competition as the reigning champion.

The multi-sport event will feature 43 standard sports along with newer disciplines such as freestyle BMX, mixed martial arts, paddle surfing, teqball and virtual taekwondo. Seven disciplines, namely archery, hockey, sailing, squash, surfing, tennis and triathlon, offer direct qualification quotas for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

​ Asian Games 2026: Where to watch in India Discover when and where to watch the Asian Games 2026 in India, featuring live coverage on Sony Sports and Sony LIV.

India is defending both the men’s and women’s titles in cricket and kabaddi. The Indian men’s hockey team will also be defending their crown.

It will be the 20th edition of the Games and the third time Japan has hosted the event, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

Explore the Asian Games 2026 schedule, venues, key events, and India's athlete lineup for this exciting multi-sport competition.

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