Nagoya, Japan, May 2, 2025: The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan may be over 500 days away but one star athlete is already confirmed – IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry.
The seven-time Olympic Games swimming medallist, and two-time Olympic champion, succeeds Thomas Bach as IOC President on June 23, 2025 so will be just over one year into her historic role as the first woman to lead the IOC by the time the Asian Games comes around in September 2026.
Coventry’s commitment to attending the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at this early stage was revealed at a joint press conference between the OCA and organising committee AINAGOC at the Nagoya Tokyu Hotel on Friday to sum up the 3rd OCA Coordination Committee Meeting and 1st Technical Delegates Meeting.
OCA Coordination Committee Chair Tayyab Ikram said one of the five main points to come from the CC meeting was that the government of Japan and government of Aichi-Nagoya would be inviting world leaders, Olympic family and local sports family to the 20th Asian Games.
“Here I would like to announce that we will invite – and it is almost confirmed – that the newly elected IOC President Kirsty Coventry will be visiting the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which is very positive news,” Mr. Ikram said.
This announcement comes a few days after the OCA Director General, Husain Al Musallam, informed a recent meeting of the OCA Executive Board that Coventry would be attending the 45th OCA General Assembly in Kuwait on May 11-12 alongside the current President, Thomas Bach.
The OCA Coordination Committee Chair, who is President of the International Hockey Federation, told the news conference the other four main purposes of the meeting:
*The arrival, accommodation and transportation of the athletes for training and competition venues, and also the details of the venues and readiness for the athletes.
*How the Asian Games can make a positive impact through visibility, broadcasting and engagement with the local citizens and society.
*The feasibility of all the operational methods in the different prefectures, different cities and different clusters of venues.
*To see the progression of the accommodation, notably the Asian Games Villas (temporary container homes) at Garden Pier and for Kinjo Pier where a cruise ship will be docked, providing a floating village for 4,600 athletes and officials.
“We are very happy with the progress made so far,” Mr. Ikram added.
The Secretary General of AINAGOC, Satoshi Murate, said the organising committee and authorities were working on contingency plans for the evacuation of athletes in case of a natural disaster, tsunami or high tide at the Port of Nagoya. He stressed that security and safety of the athletes and public was the top priority.