Asian Games 2026 LIVE: Opening ceremony under way in Japan

India's flag bearers Manu Bhaker and Pawan Kumar walk with teammates into the stadium during the opening ceremony for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on September 19, 2026

Musician Taro Hakase performs during the Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya, Japan, on September 19, 2026

Veteran Indian shuttler H.S. Prannoy says the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is most likely his last, but he will give himself another year to assess whether he has enough left to make a realistic bid for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Prannoy says Aichi-Nagoya likely his last Asian Games, keeps LA 2028 door open

H.S. Prannoy hints the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games may be his last but eyes a potential bid for LA 2028 Olympics.

Dancers perform during the opening ceremony for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on September 19, 2026

Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony starts at Aichi-Nagoya in Japan.

The Japanese national anthem is sung and the host’s flag is hoisted.

Japanese boy band INI perform ahead of the opening ceremony for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan on September 19, 2026

Indians living in Japan are standing by to house the country’s athletes at the Asian Games if accommodation shortages continue, officials said Saturday.

India, who are sending almost 500 athletes to the Asian Games, have moved some from the huts into hotels and have put in place contingency plans should the shortage of suitable rooms get worse as more competitors and support staff arrive in the coming days.

“We have booked hotels for our athletes here,” Sahdev Yadav, India’s chef de mission at Asian Games and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)’s treasurer, told AFP.

“But if the hotel rooms fall short then yes, we have Indian households here on standby to accommodate the athletes.

“They are all more than happy to welcome the stars at their homes.”

-AFP

India is defending both the men’s and women’s titles in cricket and kabaddi. The Indian men’s hockey will team in also be defending their crown

See the sport-wise schedule here:

Asian Games 2026: Full India schedule with key events

Asian Games 2026: Full India schedule and details of key events

Japan’s hosting of the Asian Games with huts and a cruise ship is an example for other nations if they want to stage major events without breaking the bank, a senior Olympic official said Saturday.

The build-up to Asia’s biggest sporting spectacular has been overshadowed by a shortage of accommodation in Nagoya for the more than 17,000 participants. Some countries have also complained about the quality of the rooms, especially in the shipping container-style huts.

Japanese organisers did not build an athletes’ village, as is normally done, in a bid to cut costs. About 4,000 participants are housed instead on cruise liner Costa Serena, which is sitting in Nagoya’s port, with another 2,000 in the wooden huts. The rest are in hotels in the city and across Aichi prefecture.

Despite complaints from some teams, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) director general Husain Al-Musallam said Japan should be applauded for trying to do something different.

-AFP

Quimcy Dsouza was within touching distance of the Asian Games final before the Indonesian comeback swept away her advantage, as the Indian went down to Sumaya in a gruelling three-game teqball women’s singles semifinal in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday

Asian Games 2026: Quimcy Dsouza loses in teqball semis; to play for bronze next

Quimcy Dsouza is poised to win India's first-ever Teqball medal at the 2026 Asian Games after reaching the semifinals.

Shooting ace Manu Bhaker on Saturday urged his fellow Indian athletes not to waste their energy in pointing out organisational chaos that has marred the build-up to the Asian Games and instead focus on giving their best in competition.

Athletes and officials of several countries, including Indians, have expressed dismay at the organisational mismanagement, cramped lodging facilities and long travel time for training from their hotels, as criticism mounts on the messy build-up of the Games.

“To all my fellow athletes from India, we will have some issues. I saw couple of issues circulated in social media and people telling me these are the issues. “Regardless of whatever the issues we have, this is probably once in a lifetime opportunity and experience. We have to make sure that we enjoy the time rather than complaining,” Bhaker said in a video message posted by Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

-PTI

From teqball to virtual taekwondo, here‘s a look at the new sporting competitions, that promise a more dynamic and spectacular Asian Games

Asian Games 2026: Six sporting events that make their debut in Aichi-Nagoya

2026 Asian Games: Discover the six exciting debut sports at the Aichi-Nagoya event, including teqball, virtual taekwondo, and more.

Members of the Indian men’s cricket team are awaiting the right-size kits ahead of their departure for the Asian Games in the wee hours of Sunday

Asian Games: India men’s cricket team dealing with clothing issue ahead of departure for

India's men's cricket team faces jersey sizing issues ahead of the Asian Games, prompting BCCI to arrange accommodations independently.

Asian Games 2026: Key Indian players to watch out for

2026 Asian Games: Discover key Indian athletes to watch at the games, including PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, and Manu Bhaker.

Seasoned kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat replaced Tajinderpal Singh Toor as India’s flag-bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony today as the celebrated shot-putter does not have the ceremonial kit in his luggage, which will prevent him from attending the gala event.

Read more here:

Kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat replaces Tajinderpal Singh Toor as Asian Games flag-bearer

Kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat steps in as Asian Games flag-bearer, replacing shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor.

At the previous Hangzhou Asiad, India had an impressive tally of 106 medals and was placed fourth behind China, Japan and South Korea. There is a significant drop in the number of Indian athletes, from 650-plus in 40 disciplines three years ago, following rationalisation, discouraging a mad rush because of the perks and money associated with the Asiad. Nevertheless, Indian sports authorities expect around 100 medals, which may noticeably improve the athlete-to-medal ratio.

Read the full editorial here.

The 20th Asian Games will open in Japan on Saturday (September 19, 2026) with a glittering ceremony following a stuttering build-up to a multi-sport spectacular that has more participants than the Olympics.

The first gold medal will be won on Sunday (September 20) morning, likely in the men’s individual triathlon, and will be followed by 468 more in more than 40 sports before the curtain comes down on October 4.

Read more here.

The number of athletes may have been reduced but India’s ambitions of flexing its sporting muscle at the continental level will be tested when the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games officially kickstart at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya on Saturday

Asian Games 2026 | Time for India’s athletes to make it count

India's athletes gear up for the 2026 Asian Games, aiming to exceed their record medal tally and showcase their potential.

Click here to read article