Asian Games 2026 open in Nagoya with spectacular opening ceremony

The 20th Asian Games officially began in Nagoya on Saturday with a colourful and high-tech opening ceremony at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.Japan’s Emperor Naruhito officially declared the Games open in the presence of Empress Masako, members of the Japanese imperial family, Olympic Council of Asia president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry.Ceremony begins with Japanese national anthemThe two-hour ceremony began with the Japanese national anthem, followed by the raising of the national flag.Nine members of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces carried the flag onto the stage before it was hoisted. The stadium then went dark, with a spotlight shining on the Japanese national flag.Reuters PhotoThe ceremony was followed by the athletes’ parade, with teams from 45 nations and the OCA Refugee Team taking part.Afghanistan were the first team to enter the parade, while China, one of Asia’s biggest sporting powers, attracted attention with a contingent of more than 800 athletes.Asian Games to feature 469 gold medalsThe Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4.Nagoya City’s Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium will host both the opening and closing ceremonies.The continental event features around 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and the OCA Refugee Team. They will compete across 43 events for 469 gold medals.Manu Bhaker, Pawan Sehrawat lead IndiaDouble Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and 2022 Asian Games gold-winning kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat led the Indian contingent during the parade. The duo proudly carried the Tricolour while wearing traditional navy blue attire.Sehrawat replaced shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor as India’s flag-bearer after Toor did not receive his ceremonial kit in time.India have sent a 501-member contingent to the Asian Games.PTI PhotoIndia aim to improve on Hangzhou performanceIndia will look to build on its best-ever Asian Games performance at Hangzhou in 2023. The country won 106 medals, including 28 gold, to finish fourth in the standings.Some events had already started before the opening ceremony.In women’s cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur-led India reached the semifinals after beating hosts Japan by eight wickets on Friday.India are also in medal contention in teqball, which is making its Asian Games debut. Quimcy D'Souza lost her women’s singles semifinal on Saturday and will now compete for the bronze medal.