Nagoya, Japan, October 5, 2026: Leading officials of Doha 2030 – host of the 21st Asian Games – looked back with pride on the handover ceremony in Nagoya on Sunday, October 4.
The highlight of the closing ceremony of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 was the journey from East to West and the handover of the torch and flag from the first Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951 and the OCA flag from Aichi-Nagoya to Doha.
His Excellency Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and OCA Vice President for Doha 2030, said: “Receiving the Asian Games Flag in Nagoya is a proud moment for Qatar and an important moment for the wider Asian sporting community.
“We thank Aichi–Nagoya for its welcome and for the spirit of the successful Games it has shared with athletes and nations across the continent.
“As the Flag is entrusted to Doha, we look forward to working with the Olympic Council of Asia, National Olympic Committees and partners across Asia on the journey to 2030.”
Dr Ahmad Abdulla Al-Buenain, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha 2030 Asian Games Organising Committee, added: “The Flag Handover marks the start of a new journey. As Qatar assumes responsibility as the next host, we are proud to introduce Doha 2030 and ‘The Games We Live For’.
“Over the next four years, we will work closely with the Olympic Council of Asia, National Olympic Committees, athletes and partners across the continent as we prepare to welcome Asia to Doha.”
Doha 2030 took the opportunity to introduce its new identity and slogan: The Games We Live For.
The slogan is built around the dreams of athletes, people and nations. Every athlete arrives with a dream; every nation brings its own hopes and ambitions, and the fans, families and communities who support them become part of that journey.
Doha 2030 brings these individual dreams together and turns them into something shared: the moments athletes spend years working towards, the moments fans and families experience with them, and the moments that inspire another generation.
The new Doha 2030 identity places the OCA sun, the unifying symbol of the Asian Games, within the “O” of DOHA, setting the Asian Games at the heart of the city. The sun represents light and aspiration, and the dreams that athletes and nations bring to the Asian Games. The identity is rooted in Qatar’s heritage while looking towards the future and the next generation.
The artistic sequence that followed the handover echoed the Doha 2006 Asian Games through the return of the horse and rider, a reference to the horseback torch sequence from the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games, carrying that sporting memory forward into the next chapter.
Qatari equestrian rider Jassim Al Kuwari received the Flag from high jump champion Mutaz Barshim in the stadium before the journey continued westwards through film towards Doha.
