The Asian Games 2026 will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with India targeting another strong medal haul. Here are the details on when the Games begin, where to watch the opening ceremony and how Indian viewers can follow the action live
Published Date – 17 September 2026, 04:30 PM
New Delhi: India will look to build on its record-breaking medal haul from the previous edition in Hangzhou as the Asian Games 2026 officially get underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday.
The Asian Games are the biggest multi-sport competition in Asia and are held once every four years. They are organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and feature 45 participating countries and regions.
The Asian Games were first held in 1951, with 489 athletes from 11 countries participating in New Delhi. Since then, the Games have been hosted a total of 19 times.
The upcoming Asian Games will feature 45 countries and regions competing across 43 sports. This will be the 20th edition of the Games and the third time that the continental showpiece is being hosted by Japan, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
India heads to the continental showpiece looking to surpass its record-breaking campaign at Hangzhou 2023, where it won 107 medals, including 28 gold.
India are the defending champions in both men’s and women’s cricket and kabaddi, while the men’s hockey team are the reigning champions.
PV Sindhu will spearhead India’s badminton campaign, while Mirabai Chanu will lead the weightlifting contingent. Manu Bhaker will be among the country’s leading names in shooting, with Aman Sehrawat taking the mat in wrestling. Lovlina Borgohain, meanwhile, will look to make an impact in boxing.
Athletics will feature more than 75 Indian track and field athletes, with Gulveer Singh, Tejaswin Shankar, Murali Sreeshankar, Jyothi Yarraji and Parul Chaudhary among the country’s leading medal prospects. Tajinderpal Singh Toor heads into Aichi-Nagoya as a two-time defending champion in the shot put.
Olympic quotas are also available in archery, sailing, squash, surfing and tennis.
Live streaming and telecast details:
When will the Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony take place?
The opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 will be held on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Where to watch the live telecast of Asian Games 2026 in India?
The live telecast of the Asian Games 2026 will be available on Sony Sports 1 and Sony Sports 5 TV channels in India. It will also be broadcast live in regional languages on Sony Sports 3 (Hindi) and Sony Sports 4 (Tamil, Telugu and Kannada).
Where to watch live streaming of Asian Games 2026 in India?
The live streaming of the Asian Games 2026 will be available on SonyLIV through its app and website in India.
