Asia’s premier sporting event kicks off this week in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as the continent’s elite athletes compete for continental glory. The 2026 edition introduces six new sports to the program, with several gold medals serving as automatic qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics.
In women’s tennis, 21-year-old Filipino Alex Eala emerges as the favorite for gold. Eala recently captured her first WTA 1000 title and reached the third round of the US Open. She is skipping the concurrent Beijing Open to focus on the Asian Games, prioritizing Olympic qualification over potential WTA fines. With defending champion Zheng Qinwen and former world number one Naomi Osaka absent, Eala aims to improve upon the bronze medal she won in 2022.
In the men’s javelin, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage is poised to dominate after his nearest rival, India’s Neeraj Chopra, withdrew due to injury. Pathirage, who has already secured Diamond League and Commonwealth titles, is targeting the Asian record of 92.97 meters set by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Pathirage is the only thrower this season to have breached the 92-meter mark twice. Meanwhile, Nadeem struggles with fitness and faces an uphill battle for a podium finish.
On home soil, Japanese javelin star Haruka Kitaguchi makes her Asian Games debut following her victory at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest. Her winning throw of 68.92 meters set a new national record and ranks as the second-best mark globally this season. She will face stiff competition from China’s Yan Ziyi, the world number one who set the Asian and World Under-20 record with a 71.74-meter throw in May. Yan, an 18-year-old sensation unbeaten in five Diamond League events this year, seeks redemption after withdrawing injured from the Budapest final.
In cricket, all eyes are on 15-year-old Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as India defends its men’s crown. The left-handed batter has already broken records as the highest scorer in this year’s Indian Premier League and became India’s youngest men’s player.
Chinese swimmers also head the list of athletes to watch. Olympic champion Pan Zhanle returns to Japan, where he previously made history as the first Asian male to swim under 47 seconds in the 100m freestyle. At the Hangzhou 2022 games, Pan secured multiple medals, including gold in the 4x100m freestyle and medley relays.
Adding to the Chinese swimming contingent is 13-year-old Yu Zidi, who made waves as the youngest-ever medalist at the 2025 World Swimming Championships. After capturing two golds and setting an Asian record in the 200m individual medley at the national championships, Yu is set to compete in multiple events at her first Asian Games, expressing excitement and a determination to push beyond her current limits.
Yan Ziyi is unstoppable this season. Pathirage better bring his A-game if he wants to beat her mark.
That 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi is incredible. The pressure of being a prodigy must be immense for her.
Wait, was cricket actually added to the program? I thought it was just demonstration or regional qualifiers.
Hope Kitaguchi can perform on home soil! Japan’s javelin scene has been quiet for a while, so this is exciting.
Neeraj Chopra out really opens up the javelin field. Pathirage looks dangerous without his main rival there.
Eala skipping the Beijing Open is a bold move. Focusing on gold here over WTA fines shows real ambition.