Asian Games 2026: key sports and stars to watch

The 20th Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4 in Nagoya, Japan. The extensive competition program will feature many popular sports, ranging from athletics and football to cricket and martial arts. We’ve prepared a 1xBet review of one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year, especially for you.

Athletics 

The queen of sports will once again be a major and important part of the Asian Games program. Athletes will compete in running and hurdling, jumping and throwing disciplines, combined events, as well as the marathon and race walking.

At the previous Games in Hangzhou, the China national team won 19 gold medals in athletics, significantly outpacing the rest of the competitors. Chinese athletes appear to be the top favourites this time around as well. Japan is also worth watching, as it will be competing in front of its home crowd. Among its top stars is javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi, who won gold at the World Championships and the Olympics in Paris.

Cricket

A spectacular and thrilling sport that has been absent from the Olympic program for over a century has long held a special place at the Asian Games. This year, both the men’s and women’s cricket tournaments will be held in the fast-paced T20 format, in which each team is allotted a maximum of 20 overs.

India will aim to defend the two gold medals it won at the previous Games in China. The men’s team’s match against Pakistan is the most anticipated event among fans. Meanwhile, the stars of the women’s team, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Shafali Verma, are capturing the attention of even those spectators who aren’t very familiar with cricket.

Combat sports

The real action is expected on the tatami, in the ring and on the mat. The program features classic Olympic combat sports such as judo, wrestling and boxing, as well as disciplines that are particularly popular in our region, including kurash, wushu and jiu-jitsu. For the first time in Asian Games history, MMA will also be included, having gained millions of fans worldwide in recent years.

Esports

Esports also deserve a special mention, as it has been included in the Asian Games medal program for the second consecutive time. The world’s top esports players will compete across 13 popular games, including League of Legends, PUBG Mobile and Gran Turismo 7. One medal event will be a combined team tournament featuring the fighting games Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and The King of Fighters XV.

Football

The Asian Games will also feature the most popular sport on the planet. Men’s football will be contested by national U-23 teams, with each team allowed to include up to three over-age players. There are no age restrictions for the women’s teams.

The men’s tournament kicks off on September 15. Group D looks particularly intriguing, with traditional favorites South Korea set to face ambitious Middle Eastern sides Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It will also be interesting to keep an eye on Uzbekistan and Japan, both of which have a strong generation of young footballers coming through. 

An equally competitive tournament awaits women’s football fans. Japan, South Korea, and China are considered the top contenders for the title.

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