The Asian Games, also known as the Asiad and Aichi-Nagoya 2026, is an upcoming multi-sport event celebrated in Japan around the Aichi prefecture with Nagoya serving as its main venue. The event is held every four years among athletes from all over Asia and is the second largest multi-sports event after the Olympics.
The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games is slated to take place from September 19 to October 4 in the heart of Japan. From the precision of martial arts to the speed of track and field, these games will showcase a diverse range of sporting prowess.
New criteria for selection
In a bid to ensure only athletes with a real chance of winning medals are selected for the games, the Sports Ministry has announced stringent new eligibility criteria for Indian athletes. According to the ministry, only those who have ranked in the top six for individual events and top eight for team events at a competition recognised by the international sport federation within 12 months will be eligible for nomination by national federations. The ministry has also made it clear that additional sportspersons, coaches and support staff will not be included in the contingent even if they have been cleared at their own costs.
The Games Organising Committee is formulating a transport plan that will cover the arrival/departure of competitors and their families, opening/closing ceremonies, daily movements to competition venues, and transportation for spectators. The transport plan is based on leveraging existing infrastructure and aiming to provide efficient, comfortable transportation during the Games. The organizing committee is also considering shuttle buses between competition venues and public transportation stations to aid spectator movement as well as measures to curb private car use around game-related facilities.