Nagoya, Japan, May 1, 2025: The Chair of the OCA Coordination Committee for the 20th Asian Games, Mr. Tayyab Ikram, believes the stage is set for a unique Asiad in Japan in 2026.
Summing up the third meeting of the OCA Coordination Committee at the Nagoya Tokyu Hotel on Thursday, Mr. Tayyab said the OCA and organising committee AINAGOC had taken big steps forward.
The committee members heard that AINAGOC’s workforce had jumped to 1,000 staff in 45 sections and that decisive action had been taken in several aspects such as the sports programme, accommodation, transportation, accreditation, public relations and marketing.
“We are full of gratitude for the work and preparation that has gone into this day. The meeting has been very informative and very businesslike on some items,” he said.
“Every Asian Games is special and we would like to make Aichi-Nagoya 2026 even more special. The OCA and Olympic family in Asia will work with you to make this Games a unique experience.”
The 20th Asian Games will take place in Nagoya city, Aichi prefecture and other cities in Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka, from September 19 to October 4, 2026. There will be 41 sports, 66 disciplines and 456 events in 53 competition venues.
“We would like to make these Games for the citizens of Aichi-Nagoya and Japan, so engagement with the local people is very important,” he added.
The organising committee said the 500-day countdown would take place on May 7, and presented a timeline for key meetings and deadlines for the OCA’s 45 National Olympic Committees (NOC).
The Secretary General of AINAGOC, Satoshi Murate, said: “We have received plenty of advice through our constructive discussions. There are just over 500 days to go and, through this meeting, we can feel the ‘One Asia’ concept.”
The 20th Asian Games will be the third edition to be staged in Japan, after Tokyo 1958 and Hiroshima 1994.
What will make it stand out from the rest is the “floating village” – a cruise liner docked at Kinjo Pier in the Port of Nagoya that will accommodate 4,600 athletes and officials. Together with 2,400 people housed in the Asian Games “Villas” (temporary container homes) at the nearby Garden Pier, this will form the Athletes’ Plaza for social and cultural events.
Key Games infrastructure will be located at Garden Pier, such as the transport mall for athletes, NOC Service Centre, NOC offices and dining hall.
Organisers are also planning athlete interaction sites and activities at Nagoya Castle and the Expo 2005 Commemorative Park.
In other news:
*Between 50 and 60 designated hospitals will provide medical services.
*The one-month torch relay is planned for August 2026.
*4,000 security guards will be on duty on a typical day.
*Accreditation will run from December 2025 to May 2026, with a visa waiver to enter Japan from July 31 to October 19, 2026.
The two-day OCA Coordination Committee meeting will continue with visits to the Athletes’ Plaza and Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, venue for badminton, on Friday, followed by a closing OCA/AINAGOC press conference on Friday afternoon.