Asian Games 2026: Complete Schedule, Teams, and UAE Viewing Guide

The Asian Games are set to begin in Japan this weekend, bringing together more than 10,000 athletes from 45 nations to compete for continental supremacy. Running from September 19 to October 4, athletes will participate across 43 sporting events hosted in Nagoya and the Aichi region of Japan. This marks the third time the continental competition has been held in the country.

As the second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympics, the Asian Games trace their history back to New Delhi, where the inaugural event was held in 1951. Notably, only seven nations—India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Thailand—have competed in every single edition. Looking ahead, the next two editions will head to the Middle East, with Doha hosting in 2030 and Riyadh in 2034.

Preparations for the 2026 event faced significant hurdles. Organisers scrambled to secure accommodations for over 17,000 athletes and officials, well above the projected 15,000. Lacking a dedicated Games Village, organisers utilized hotels, cabins, and a cruise ship to manage costs. Additionally, heavy rains lashed Nagoya, causing brief evacuations, flooded roads, and water intrusion at some venues, though the Games remain on track.

While preliminary rounds in sports like basketball are already underway, the official Opening Ceremony takes place on Saturday, September 19, at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya.

China enters the competition as the undisputed heavyweight, sending a massive squad of 815 athletes, including 36 Olympic champions. China has topped both the gold-medal and overall tallies at every Asian Games since 1982, previously finishing with 201 gold medals, ahead of Japan (52 golds), South Korea (42), and India (28). Star athletes to watch include Philippine tennis sensation Alex Eala, China’s two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion artistic gymnast Zou Jingyuan, Japan’s former women's World No 1 and three-time world champion badminton star Akane Yamaguchi, and India’s double T20 world champion men’s team.

The UAE will send a delegation of 165 athletes—117 male and 48 female competitors—across 23 disciplines, including athletics, swimming, taekwondo, padel tennis, football, esports, equestrian (show jumping and dressage), cycling, archery, rowing, sailing, fencing, golf, shooting, judo, modern pentathlon, triathlon, jiu-jitsu, rugby, weightlifting, boxing, and karate. This event marks the UAE's debut in modern pentathlon and padel tennis. The UAE men’s national football team, featuring players like Yahya Al Ghassani, Junior Ndiaye, and Mackenzie Hunt, begins its campaign in Group B against Iran on Wednesday, alongside China and North Korea.

Participating nations and regions include Afghanistan, Asian Refugee Team, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Fans in the UAE can watch the Asian Games 2026 live on the streaming platform TOD.