Manama, Bahrain, October 22, 2025: The Olympic Council of Asia was assured of a successful Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games by the organisers during the 101st OCA Executive Board Meeting in Bahrain on Wednesday, October 22.
Members of the OCA Executive Board were informed by Director General Husain Al Musallam of several worrying issues surrounding the smooth running of the 20th Asian Games from September 19 to October 4, 2026, where 15,000 athletes and officials are expected to turn up.
Al Musallam highlighted two key issues that were putting the Games at risk - the lack of suitable accommodation for the athletes plus the Japanese Olympic Committee not being involved in the organisation.
“I have to be frank with you,” Al Musallam told AINAGOC officials in attendance. “The OCA and past Asian Games organisers have always put athletes at the top of what we do. We have created the best possible environment for the athletes. But this time, we don’t think this is happening.
“We also feel the AINAGOC doesn’t communicate with the Japanese Olympic Committee. The JOC has enough experience in hosting major events, a prime example being the Tokyo 2020 Olympics which was held during a very difficult time,” Al Musallam added.
Talking on the Games budget – a whopping US$900 million – the OCA Director General believed it was not being spent in the right areas, creating unwanted budgetary problems.
Tayyab Ikram, Chair of the OCA Coordination Commission for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games also raised concerns, underlining the anxiety of the OCA over organisational matters.
All these concerns were acknowledged by the AINAGOC officials at the meeting – Secretary General Murate Satoshi and Acting Director General Yasuhiro Nakamori – who were quick to reassure the OCA Director General and the OCA Executive Board that remedial measures will be taken swiftly.
“During the recent Chefs de Mission meeting in Nagoya, 12 points of concern were raised and we have taken steps to address them all. For instance, regarding athletes accommodation, we will reduce occupancy from five athletes to a maximum of three in the rooms in the villas, and we will also secure additional hotel accommodation,” Secretary General Satoshi pointed out.
He also stated that AINAGOC will work closely with the Japanese Olympic Committee, and had already taken steps to get JOC officials on board the organising committee.
“We are committed to the success of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and we will continue to work closely with the OCA,” Satoshi said.
OCA Executive Board member Mikako Kotani, who is also on the executive board of the Japanese Olympic Committee, confirmed that AINAGOC was working closely with the JOC.
“At the JOC, we feel it is our responsibility not only to support AINAGOC, but also to work closely with OCA to ensure the success of the Aichi-Nagoya Games,” Kotani said.
Next year’s showpiece will be the third time that Japan will be hosting the Asian Games following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
