Nagoya, Japan, September 14, 2026: The Athletes’ Village at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games will have two special visitors on Sunday, September 20.
The President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, and the Olympic Council of Asia President, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, will be touring the Garden Pier section of the village and meeting with athletes from the various National Olympic Committees.
This news was relayed to the delegation leaders at the Chefs de Mission meeting at Garden Pier on Monday, September 14.
The IOC President and OCA President will visit Garden Pier at 11am – the morning after the Asian Games opening ceremony on Saturday, September 19.
As there is no traditional Athletes’ Village in Nagoya, the athletes and officials from 45 National Olympic Committees will be accommodated in a cruise liner, Asian Games villas temporary homes in Garden Pier or in hotels throughout Nagoya city or Aichi prefecture.
The cruise liner will dock at Kinjo Pier in the Port of Nagoya on Tuesday, September 15, with a welcome ceremony scheduled for 1pm. The athletes will begin boarding the following day.
The CDM meeting on Monday also learned of the Team Welcome Ceremony protocol from September 16-18.
The ceremonies will take place at the Athletes’ Interaction Area of the Athletes Plaza at Garden Pier. There will be three times slots on each of the three days: 10am, 1.30pm and 5pm. Each ceremony will last 30 minutes and include a cultural performance, the NOC flag-raising and playing of the national anthem and souvenir exchange. There will also be a tree-planting ceremony at the first session.
The OCA Refugee Team/Asian Refugee Team (ART) comprising two taekwondo athletes will be officially welcomed into the village at 10am on Friday, September 18.
Other points at the CDM meeting included:
*Safeguarding officers meeting will take place on September 21 (11am-2pm)
*NOC team doctors meeting on September 18 and October 3
*Esports draw on September 17
*Details of the OCA Athletes’ Committee election to be conducted during the Asian Games will be presented at the next CDM meeting on September 16.
