The vibrant opening of the 2026 Asian Games took place in Nagoya. The ceremony was held at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Japan on Saturday, September 19, and featured high-tech and colorful decorations.
The opening was declared by Emperor Naruhito of Japan in the presence of Empress Masako, members of the royal family, Sheikh Juan bin Hamad Al Tani, Chairman of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), and Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The ceremony, which lasted about two hours, began with the playing of the Japanese national anthem, followed by the raising of the national flag. Nine members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces brought the flag to the stage, after which the stadium lighting was turned off, and the national flag was illuminated by spotlights.
Next was the parade of athletes from 45 countries and the OCA refugee team, totaling 46 delegations. Representatives of Afghanistan participated first in the parade, while China, an Asian sporting power, drew attention with its contingent of over 800 athletes.
The flag was held by Manu Bhaker, a two-time Olympic medalist from Paris, and Pawan Sehrawat, an Asian Games champion in Kabaddi from Hangzhou. Both representatives of India led the Indian delegation in traditional dark blue suits. It was noted that Pawan Sehrawat was appointed flag bearer at the last minute instead of Tajinderpal Singh Tur because Tur could not attend the ceremony due to the late delivery of the necessary official kit.
Despite the high-tech and colorful event, many empty seats were observed in the stadium, and the overall atmosphere of the celebration seemed less noisy and grand than usual. These empty stands attracted the attention of spectators. The Indian team participating in these games consists of 501 athletes. The goal of the Indian team is to surpass the results achieved at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, where India performed best by winning 106 medals, including 28 gold, and finishing fourth in the overall standings.
Many competitions have already started before the Asian Games opening. For example, the Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated the host Japan by a margin of 8 points in women's cricket and advanced to the semi-finals. Additionally, India is also competing for medals in Teqball, which is entering the Asian Games program for the first time. Kimsi Di'Suja from India lost in the women's singles semi-final in Teqball and will now play for the bronze medal.
The Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4. The Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya will host both the opening and closing ceremonies. This time, approximately 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and the OCA refugee team will participate in 43 sports, with 469 gold medals at stake.