Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Begin As Japan Hosts For First Time Since 1994

NAGOYA, Sept 19 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games began on Saturday, with Japan hosting the continental summer games for the first time since 1994 and welcoming 45 countries and regions competing in 43 sports, Kyodo News reported.

Qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is at stake in sports including hockey, surfing and squash at the Games held in Nagoya and other cities in Aichi Prefecture, neighbouring Shizuoka and Gifu prefectures, as well as Tokyo and Osaka.

More than 17,000 athletes and officials are taking part in the quadrennial Games, according to the Olympic Council of Asia. Japan has sent its largest-ever contingent of 932 athletes, aiming to surpass its record of 78 gold medals set at the 1966 Games in Bangkok.

Non-Olympic sports such as sepak takraw and kabaddi are featured alongside esports as Japan hosts the Games for the third time, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

Rising costs and an increase in the number of sports and athletes have posed challenges for the local organising committee since Aichi Prefecture and its capital, Nagoya, were named hosts of the 2026 Games a decade ago.

Soaring prices have pushed the original estimated cost of 100 billion yen (US$637 million) for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games combined to more than 370 billion yen, with the government providing 13.6 billion yen in subsidies after enacting special measures.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO