The Asian Games 2026 will be held in the cities of Aichi and Nagoya in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. It will be the third time that Japan has hosted the Games after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The theme of the Games is “Imagine One Asia”. The mascot, Honohon, is based on the Shachihoko, a mythical fish with a tiger’s head and symbol of Nagoya Castle.
Esports will feature in the 2026 Games, which will include 41 sports and a total of 15,000 athletes and team officials. The decision to add the sport was made during the 93rd OCA Executive Board Meeting in Harbin, China, earlier this month. At the last edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, India’s Pavan Kampelli won bronze in eFootball and S8UL finished seventh in League of Legends.
The inclusion of esports is expected to boost India’s medal prospects at the Games. The 15-member Indian esports team at the Asian Games will compete in four esports titles – Arena of Valor Asian Games Version, DOTA 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2 and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.
The Asian Games are the biggest sporting event in Asia, organized by the Olympic Council of Asia every four years. The first edition was held in 1951, shortly after the end of World War II, with the aim of reestablishing bonds between Asian countries through sports and contributing to world peace by recognizing diversity. The Games are open to all nations and regions affiliated with the OCA, with the exception of Palestine, Taiwan (known as Chinese Taipei) and Macau.