The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has approved the sports program for the 20th Asian Games, which will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026. The decision was made during the Executive Committee’s online meeting, chaired by OCA First Vice President Timothy Fok, on Tuesday.

The event will feature a total of 41 sports, 68 disciplines, and 460 events, divided into 217 men’s events, 204 women’s events, and 39 mixed events. This edition promises to be one of the most comprehensive and varied in the history of the Asian Games, with athletes from 45 national Olympic committees across the continent participating.

A diverse sports program

Confirmed sports include swimming, athletics, archery, badminton, baseball/softball, basketball (including 3×3), boxing, breaking, canoeing, combat sports (jiu-jitsu, kurash, MMA), cricket (T20), cycling, equestrian, esports, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, karate, modern pentathlon, rowing, rugby 7s, sailing, sepak takraw, shooting, skateboarding, sport climbing, squash, surfing, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, and wushu.

OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam said, “Now that the Executive Committee has approved the final sports program for the Aichi-Nagoya Games, it will be communicated to the 45 National Olympic Committees in Asia, as well as to Asian and international federations.”

Next steps for NOCs

With the approval of the program, the national Olympic committees will be able to move forward with the athlete accreditation process, which will begin with registration by number and continue with registration by name. This procedure is essential to ensure the proper organization and participation of athletes in each discipline.

Japan will host the Asian Games for the third time in its history, following the 1958 edition in Tokyo and the 1994 edition in Hiroshima. The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 event reinforces the country’s commitment to Asian sport and its ability to organize major international events.