Game on: 20th Asian Games open Saturday with 17,000 athletes, Olympic champions chasing glory

Nagoya, Japan welcomed the opening of the 20th Asian Games on Saturday, with 17,000 athletes, officials, and Olympic champions joining the festivities. The sprawling event took place primarily in the port city of Nagoya and the neighboring Aichi prefecture. Renowned for its vibrant atmosphere, Nagoya has a population of over two million residents and was heavily affected by World War II.

The Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, with a seating capacity of 30,000, served as the focal point for athletics competitions, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

The Games, held biennially, spanned two weeks and featured 43 sports. Aside from athletics and swimming, the most-watched events included badminton, boxing, cricket, football, golf, gymnastics, table tennis, tennis, and weightlifting. In a bid to attract younger audiences, eSports, break dancing, and BMX biking were also part of the program. For the first time, padel, mixed martial arts, and teqball made their Asian Games debut, while obscure regional sports like kurash, kabaddi, and wushu were also included.

The Asian Games outstrip the Olympics in terms of participants, with more than 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials taking part. Forty-five countries and territories competed in the event. Hosts China topped the medal table in the previous Games in 2023, followed by Japan, South Korea, India, and Uzbekistan. Iran and North Korea also secured spots in the top 10. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Syria and Palestine concluded at the bottom of the table.

Promising athletes like Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who ignited controversy after her gold medal win at the Paris Olympics, and Indian cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was just 15 at the time, were among the rising stars to watch. Younger still was Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi, who had won a world championships medal at the age of 12.

Alexandra Eala, a 21-year-old tennis star from the Philippines, and Pakistan's javelin champion Arshad Nadeem also had their sights set on gold. In the realm of eSports, South Korea's formidable team, led by Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, dominated the competitive gaming scene.