The 20th Asian Games are set to officially open in Japan on Saturday, with Nagoya hosting a multi-sport spectacle featuring around 17,000 athletes and officials across 45 sports. The first gold medal is expected to be awarded on Sunday, with a total of 469 gold medals to be contested before the Games conclude on October 4.
The event has faced several challenges during its build-up, including accommodation issues, heavy rain and the threat of a typhoon. With no traditional athletes’ village, participants are staying in temporary accommodation, hotels and the cruise ship Costa Serena. Some teams have also raised concerns about transport and the quality of temporary housing.
Several sports, including football, basketball and cricket, have already begun. The Games will feature Olympic disciplines alongside Asian favourites such as kabaddi and sepak takraw, while eSports, breakdancing, BMX, padel and MMA add to the programme.
India’s squad includes teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, while Japan will look to Olympic champions Shinnosuke Oka and Haruka Kitaguchi.