NAGOYA, Japan, 19th September, 2026 (WAM) — Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, Vice President of the UAE Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Executive Office, attended the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games – Aichi–Nagoya 2026, hosted by Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya in Japan.
The Games will run until 4 October, bringing together more than 11,000 athletes, around 6,000 coaches and officials, and representatives from 45 countries for over 16 days of competition.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Shihab Ahmed Mohamed Abdulrahim AlFaheem, UAE Ambassador to Japan; Ghanem Mubarak Al Hajeri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports; Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the UAE Olympic Committee; and Hanan Al Mahmoud and Amal Bushalakh, members of the UAE Olympic Committee Board of Directors.
His Majesty Emperor Naruhito of Japan officially declared the Games open, in the presence of Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia; Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee; and a number of officials and leading sports figures.
Held at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium, the opening ceremony featured artistic performances that blended traditional Japanese culture with modern sport, music and performing arts, alongside the parade of participating delegations, before the lighting of the Games cauldron marked the official start of the 20th edition.
The Games are being held under the slogan “Imagine One Asia”, while the opening ceremony was presented under the concept “Harmonic Heart Beat”, reflecting the unity of the continent’s peoples and athletes through a shared spirit of sport.
Aichi–Nagoya 2026 marks the third time Japan has hosted the Asian Games, following Tokyo 1958 and Hiroshima 1994.
The Games feature competitions across 43 sports and 71 disciplines, with 1,407 medals to be awarded across 469 events, making it one of the largest sporting gatherings on the Asian continent.
The UAE is participating with a delegation of 165 athletes across 21 sports, continuing the country’s journey at the Asian Games, with aspirations to deliver strong performances and achieve positive results that reflect the development of UAE sport.
Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi affirmed that the continental event reflects the role of sport in building bridges of communication and closer ties between peoples, by providing a platform that brings together athletes from across Asia in an atmosphere of fair competition and mutual respect, while celebrating the cultural and civilisational diversity of the participating countries and strengthening the values of understanding and friendship among their peoples.
Dr Al Falasi said: “We look forward to seeing the UAE athletes deliver their best performances during the Games and translate the efforts they have made throughout the preparation stages into results that meet our ambitions and reflect the development of UAE sport. We value the efforts of the UAE Olympic Committee, the sports federations, and the technical and administrative teams in preparing our national teams for this event, and we wish all our participating athletes every success in achieving results that raise the UAE flag at this continental gathering.”
As part of the follow-up on the UAE delegation’s participation, Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the UAE Olympic Committee, and Ghanem Mubarak Al Hajeri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports, visited the Athletes’ Village for the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
During the visit, Al Mutawa and Al Hajeri reviewed the Village’s facilities and the services provided to participating delegations. They also inspected the UAE delegation’s accommodation and met members of the administrative and medical teams to review the various arrangements for the delegation and ensure the readiness of the organisational and service aspects supporting the UAE’s participation.
The visit forms part of the continuous follow-up on the UAE delegation and reflects the keenness of the UAE Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports to provide a suitable environment for athletes and national teams, helping them focus on their competitions and deliver their best performances during the Games.
They also attended the training session of the UAE Olympic football team participating in the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, to check on the team’s preparations and readiness for the competition.
They were received by Abdulmohsen Fahad Al Dossari, Fahad Ismail Al Hosani and Yahya Khalaf Al Matroushi, members of the Board of Directors of the UAE Football Association. The attendees watched part of the team’s training session and were briefed on its latest technical and organisational preparations for the tournament.
The team is preparing for its second match against North Korea tomorrow, Sunday, following its defeat in the opening match against Iran. It continues its preparations for the upcoming fixture as it seeks to achieve a positive result and make up for the opening-match result.
On the competition front, Abdullah Abdulrahman, a member of the UAE national modern pentathlon team, recorded the country’s first appearance in modern pentathlon at the Asian Games, marking a new milestone in his international career.
His participation at Aichi–Nagoya 2026 followed his appearance at the 2025 Senior Asian Championships in Anjo, Japan, as well as his contribution to the UAE team that won bronze medals in the team Laser Run and Triathle competitions at the 2025 World Championships in South Africa.
Abdulrahman Abdullah Mohammed concluded his participation in the men’s individual event with an overall total of 1,282 points, after competing in fencing, obstacle, swimming and Laser Run in the semi-final.
The participation represented an important milestone for both the athlete and UAE modern pentathlon, marking the country’s debut in the sport at the Asian Games. It also added to the athlete’s experience through exposure to high-level Asian competition, as part of the continued development of his presence at continental and international events and future competitions.
Source: Emirates News Agency