Nagoya, Japan, May 19, 2026: The Secretary General of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee, Mr. Satoshi Murate, welcomed participants to the second World Broadcasters Meeting (WBM) on Tuesday, May 19.
He said there were only four months remaining to the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games on September 19 and preparations were entering the final stage, with all the work on the refurbished Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium completed. Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium will stage the opening ceremony on September 19 and the closing ceremony on October 4, as well as the athletics competition.
The second WBM is taking place at Port Messe Nagoya – location for the Main Media Centre during the Asian Games incorporating the International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre.
“We will make every effort to ensure a smooth environment for broadcasters during the Asian Games,” he said.
The Olympic Council of Asia’s Director of Media and Broadcast, Mr. Jeans Zhou Jian, said he was convinced that the broadcasting operations would be a big success for two reasons: first, because OCA had been collaborating with AINAGOC for three years to overcome various challenges, and second because he had been working personally with these broadcasters for 16 years, from the Asian Games in Guangzhou 2010, Incheon 2014, Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.
“You are the best at what you are doing,” he said. “I am sure we can all work together for another successful broadcasting operation.”
Mr. Zhou read out a message from the Chair of the OCA Media Committee, Mr. Faris Al Kooheji, who said the OCA appreciated and respected the hard work of broadcasters in serving as the window to the world for the Asian Games. He also encouraged all broadcasters at the WBM to raise questions in order to provide the best conditions and services during the Asian Games.
Other main points from the first morning of the two-day WBM:
*With the addition of padel and teqball, there will now be 43 sports, 70 disciplines and 468 events.
*There will be five events in teqball: men’s single, men’s doubles, women’s single, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
*Padel will feature two events: men’s doubles and women’s doubles.
*The competition venues for teqball and padel will be confirmed shortly.
*The 100 days countdown celebrations will be held from June 11-21.
*The draw for seven team sports will take place on Thursday, July 23 at the Nagoya Hilton Hotel. The seven sports are: football (16 men’s teams, 16 women’s teams), volleyball (16 men’s teams, 16 women’s teams), handball (12 men’s teams, 8 women’s teams), sepak takraw (six events, men and women combined), rugby sevens (12 men’s teams, 8 women’s teams), water polo (10 men’s teams) and cricket (10 men’s teams, 8 women’s teams).
*The Torch Relay will begin on August 22 and end on September 18 – the day before the opening ceremony.
*The other presentations on the opening morning included sports, technology services, Main Media Centre operations and the services provided by Canon, who will be working with the Asian Games for the third consecutive time, starting from Jakarta-Palembang 2018.
