{
  "id": 8625913,
  "title": "Qatar’s Flag Flies High at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games Opening Ceremony",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/qatars-flag-flies-high-at-aichi-nagoya-2026-asian-games-opening",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T06:18:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Marhaba Qatar",
    "slug": "marhaba-qatar",
    "url": "https://marhaba.qa/qatars-flag-flies-high-at-aichi-nagoya-2026-asian-games-opening-ceremony/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games officially began with an opening ceremony at the 30,000-capacity Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Japan. According to the Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam, more than 70 percent of tickets were sold for the event. However, thousands of seats remained empty, with Al-Musallam citing a typhoon warning that had been issued earlier in the day as a possible reason for the low attendance.\n\nThe ceremony featured Japan's emperor and empress in attendance and concluded with fireworks. Al-Musallam noted that one block of seats had to be kept empty due to the Games flame. An announcement at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium had previously stated that the ceremony was sold out, but this contrasted with the visible empty seats.\n\nA typhoon warning had been issued for Nagoya, but the storm ultimately made a greater impact in the Tokyo region, where some Games events are being hosted. There was no rain during the ceremony, but heavy rain was reported in Tokyo on Sunday, with possible wet weather forecast for Nagoya later that day and on Monday. Qatar's national flag was carried into the ceremony, marking the country's participation in the Games.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}