Asian Games open in Nagoya, with China ready to maintain its dominance

The 20th Asian Games opened in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, with China sending a delegation of 815 athletes to compete across 38 sports as it seeks to extend its long-standing dominance of the continental multisport event.

The Games, running from Sept 19 to Oct 4 in Aichi prefecture and Nagoya, marks the third time that Japan is hosting them, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. A total of 469 gold medals will be awarded across 43 sports at 54 venues.

China's delegation includes athletes competing in 369 events, with a mix of Olympic champions, established stars and emerging young competitors. Wu Yu, a world champion in women's boxing, and Hu Mingxuan, captain of China's men's basketball team, served as the delegation's flag bearers at the opening ceremony.

China has topped both the gold medal and overall medal standings at every Asian Games since the 1982 New Delhi edition, when it first claimed the top spot in both categories. The run continued at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, giving China 11 consecutive editions at the top of both standings.

The opening ceremony was held at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, which reopened in April following renovation and redevelopment. The venue will also host athletics events, including track and field and part of the marathon program. It will stage the closing ceremony on Oct 4.

Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Olympic Council of Asia, said the Games would demonstrate the power of sport to bring Asia together.

“What we will see over the next days will inspire us. It will move us. And it will remind us of what we are capable of when we come together for Asia,” he said.

Referring to the athletes competing at the Games, he added, “While the world is too often divided by conflict, they remind us that sport remains a powerful force for peace, understanding, and friendship among nations.”

Competition is already underway, with several events scheduled to produce the first champions of the Games on Sunday.

Finals in the men's individual triathlon, the women's individual time trial in road cycling and men's changquan in wushu are among the medal events scheduled for Sunday.

For China, the early medal events will provide an opportunity to maintain its tradition of making a fast start.

Since first participating in the Asian Games in 1974, China has won the first gold medal of the Games eight times. It has also claimed the first gold at each of the past six editions.

China's women's basketball team, meanwhile, opened its Asian Games campaign with a 111-46 win over Thailand on Saturday, beginning its bid for a third consecutive title.

The team arrived in Japan after competing at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, where it reached the quarterfinals. Head coach Gong Luming said the experience had helped strengthen the team's unity and mutual support.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games will bring together athletes from across Asia in competitions ranging from traditional Asian sports to Olympic disciplines and emerging events.

Several sports are expected to feature competition at the highest international level. Table tennis, badminton and archery will bring together many of Asia's leading athletes, while selected events in gymnastics, swimming, athletics, shooting, fencing, taekwondo, judo and wrestling are also expected to produce world-class contests.

For China, the Games represents another major test for a new generation of athletes while providing established stars with an opportunity to defend the country's position at the top of Asian sport.