Korea's 122-member team departs for 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya

Korea's Asian Games campaign got underway Thursday as a 122-member delegation departed for Nagoya, Japan, ahead of more than two weeks of competition.

Led by chef de mission Lee Sang-hyun, the delegation left through Incheon International Airport and includes athletes and officials competing in badminton, road cycling, women's handball, karate, table tennis and beach volleyball.

The Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is set to open on Saturday with a ceremony at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and run through Oct. 4, spanning 16 days and 71 disciplines.

Roughly 15,000 athletes from 45 national Olympic committees will compete for 469 gold medals across 43 sports at the Games.

Events will be held across 19 cities in Aichi Prefecture as well as in Tokyo, Osaka and Shizuoka, with Nagoya serving as the host city. Some competitions have already begun, including men's basketball, which started Sept. 10, along with football and volleyball.

This marks the third time Japan has hosted the Summer Asian Games, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

The Asian Games are held every four years. The last edition, the 2022 Hangzhou Games, was postponed to 2023 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing this year's Games just three years after the last.

BY KIM KYOUNG-ROK [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]

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