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The Qatar News Agency reported that the 20th Asian Games officially opened with a parade of nations at the stadium as Japan hosts the event for the first time since 1994. Emperor Naruhito made the declaration in the presence of dignitaries that included Olympic Council of Asia president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry. The Games run through October 4 and feature 469 events in 43 sports across multiple venues.
Qatar has sent a 427-member delegation including 243 athletes who will compete in 26 sports, according to figures published by the Qatar News Agency. Padel player Mohammed Saadoun Al Kuwari and shooter Reem Al Sharshani carried the Qatari flag during the opening ceremony parade of nations. The Qatari women’s 3×3 basketball team begins its schedule on September 22 against Sri Lanka.
The Olympic Council of Asia places total participation at more than 11,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions plus a refugee team. Japan has entered a record contingent of 932 athletes seeking to break its medal record from the 1966 Games, Kyodo News reported. This edition marks the third time Japan has hosted the Asian Games after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
Some events offer qualification pathways for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in sports such as hockey, surfing and squash, a Kyodo News assessment found. The programme also includes non-Olympic disciplines including sepak takraw, kabaddi and esports. Venues are concentrated in Aichi Prefecture with additional competitions held in Tokyo, Osaka and Shizuoka.
Reuters reported that the opening ceremony directed by filmmaker Yukihiko Tsutsumi used a heart-shaped stage and the theme of harmonic heart beat to emphasise Asian unity through dance, music and fireworks. The event followed a buildup that included logistical adjustments and higher than expected costs now subsidised in part by the Japanese government. Organisers housed some athletes in hotels, containers and a cruise ship as a cost-cutting measure.
The Olympic Council of Asia acknowledged early operational issues but described them as minor difficulties that did not affect the opening ceremony. Competition in certain sports had started ahead of the formal declaration while the full schedule unfolds over the next 16 days. The closing ceremony is also scheduled for Nagoya on October 4.
