Japan hopes this secret trick will save the muted Asian Games

Tokyo will host the 20th Asian Games, a major multi-sport event postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting on Saturday in Nagoya. This marks Japan's third Asian Games and first since 1994. While the mood may not be as enthusiastic as hoped for the Olympic return, public interest in the games is still present despite challenges. Organizers have managed to shift tickets but have faced difficulties due to torrential rain, leading to temporary evacuations of accommodation for hundreds of athletes and officials.

The Games will feature 469 medal events across 43 sports, up from 40 sports at Hangzhou, with a focus on contemporary sports like mixed martial arts, padel, and surfing. Traditional sports such as chess, go, xiangqi, bridge, dragon boat racing, roller skating, open water swimming, and breakdancing have been dropped. Virtual taekwondo and teqball, a fusion of table tennis and soccer, have been introduced instead.

Esports and breaking will also be medal events, with the latter retaining its spot despite previous controversies.

Accommodation for the athletes will be a mix of temporary wooden containers and a cruise ship docked in Nagoya's bay. The competition will span across Aichi Prefecture and various locations in Japan, with Tokyo hosting swimming events and Osaka handling soccer. Japan hopes to capitalize on their traditional strengths in table tennis, badminton, and weightlifting, while also vying for Olympic quota spots in archery, hockey, sailing, squash, surfing, tennis, and triathlon for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The Tokyo Aquatics Centre will witness a strong Chinese team, including world record holder Pan Zhanle, along with promising young athletes like 13-year-old Yu Zidi. Filipino tennis player Alex Eala aims for his first gold medal three years after finishing third in Hangzhou, and home favorites Haruka Kitaguchi and Shinnosuke Oka will compete in athletics and gymnastics respectively.