With just 10 days left for the Asian Games 2026, excitement is building among Indian fans as they prepare to cheer for the country's leading athletes in Aichi-Nagoya.
The 20th Asian Games will officially take place from September 19 to October 4 in Japan, with some competitions beginning before the opening ceremony.
India will enter the Games with a strong contingent after producing a record 107-medal haul at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Several athletes who impressed at the recent Commonwealth Games will also be among the names attracting attention in Japan. The Indian contingent comprises 492 athletes, including 265 men and 227 women.
Asian Games 2026 Dates
The Asian Games 2026 full schedule officially runs from September 19 to October 4. However, several sporting competitions begin before the opening ceremony.
Preliminary competitions: From September 10
Opening Ceremony: September 19
Main Games: September 19 to October 4
Closing Ceremony: October 4
The official competition programme features 43 sports, 71 disciplines and 469 medal events. The organisers have also listed 54 competition venues across the host region and other Japanese locations.
Asian Games Schedule: Sports Wise
Sport Discipline | Competition Window | Key Venue & Location |
Basketball | 9 Sept – 3 Oct | Aichi International Arena, Nagoya |
Football | 14 Sept – 3 Oct | 7 regional venues (incl. Toyota Stadium & Osaka) |
Teqball | 17 Sept onwards | Aichi Prefecture |
Cricket (Women's T20) | 17 Sept – 22 Sept | Korogi Athletic Park, Nisshin |
Hockey | 18 Sept – 3 Oct | Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, Gifu |
Badminton | 20 Sept – 29 Sept | Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium |
Aquatics - Swimming | 20 Sept – 25 Sept | Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo |
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) | 20 Sept – 22 Sept | Aichi Prefecture |
Equestrian | 21 Sept – 4 Oct | Equestrian Park, Tokyo |
Athletics (Track & Field) | 24 Sept – 29 Sept | Paloma Mizuho Stadium, Nagoya |
Cricket (Men's T20) | 24 Sept – 3 Oct | Korogi Athletic Park, Nisshin |
Aquatics - Diving | 26 Sept – 30 Sept | Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo |
Judo | 30 Sept – 3 Oct | Aichi International Arena, Nagoya |
Asian Games Schedule: Key Sports, Venues And Dates
Sport | Dates | Primary Venue & Location | Competition Timing Info |
Ceremonies & Athletics | 19 Sept & 4 Oct (Ceremonies) | Paloma Mizuho Stadium, Nagoya | Opening Ceremony begins at 18:00 JST. Athletics events split into morning & evening sessions. |
Cricket (T20) | 17–22 Sept (Women) | Kōrogi Sports Park, Nisshin (Aichi) | Double-headers played daily; typical local match slots starting around 09:00 and 14:00. |
Basketball | 10–26 September | Aichi International Arena, Nagoya | Preliminary group phases start daily early in the tournament schedule. |
Swimming & Diving | 20–25 Sept (Swimming) | Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo (Co-hosted out of prefecture) | Morning qualifiers; evening championship/medal sessions. |
Wrestling | 30 Sept–3 Oct | Nagoya City Inae Sports Centre, Nagoya | One-day format. Qualifications start from 10:30; Medal finals from 18:00 local time. |
Badminton | 20–29 September | Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, Ichinomiya | Full daily elimination tournament layout. |
Kabaddi | 21–26 September | Tokai Citizens Gymnasium, Aichi Prefecture | 4 days of group qualifiers, Semi-finals on 25 Sept, Gold Medal matches on 26 Sept. |
Football | 14 Sept–3 October | 7 stadiums across Aichi (including Toyota Stadium) | Preliminary rounds scheduled dynamically before the opening ceremony. |
Asian Games Schedule: Competition Timings
Morning Sessions:Usually run from 5:30 to 9:30 IST for preliminary knockouts, heats, and group match phases.
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Evening/Prime-Time Sessions: Usually run from 1:30 to 5:30 IST, mostly hosting marquee tournament block fixtures, semifinals, and gold-medal finals.
The exact timings will vary by sport and session, so fans should check the official daily schedule before each event. The organisers have said the competition schedule may be revised as needed.
With 43 sports and 469 medal events on the programme, the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games promise more than two weeks of action, with Indian stars such as PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Tajinderpal Singh Toor and other leading athletes looking to add to India's medal tally.