The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.
The 2026 Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4 in and around the Japanese city of Aichi-Nagoya. It will mark the third time that Japan has hosted the multi-sport event, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
Organizers are seeking to reduce costs at the Games by housing athletes and officials on a cruise ship and converted shipping containers in the “floating village,” according to the organizers’ official website. The organisers say the arrangement will also save money by not having to build new facilities or pay for a large venue.
The esports program for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games features 41 events, five more than Los Angeles 2028 and four more than Hangzhou 2023. The games will feature a total of 11 esports titles, including PUBG and League of Legends, but not Dota 2. The strategic choice signals a focus on production optimization and alignment with the stringent broadcasting requirements of high-stakes international sporting events.
All 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia are eligible to participate in the Asian Games, although the disputed territory of Taiwan is represented at the Games under its government-sanctioned name of Chinese Taipei and the cities of Macau and Hong Kong are allowed to compete as part of China. Similarly, Turkey and Russia — whose major geographical parts are located in Asia — are eligible to participate as non-OCA member nations, but choose to compete at the European Games instead of the Asian Games.
