Nagoya Asian Games Open as China Eyes Medal Lead

The 20th Asian Games opened in Nagoya, Japan, on the evening of September 19, 2026, launching more than two weeks of competition across the Aichi-Nagoya region. Chinese athletes are competing in events ranging from volleyball and basketball to boxing, with the delegation led into the opening ceremony by boxer Wu Yu and basketball player Hu Mingxuan, according to Xinhua News.

The opening ceremony was held at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Beijing time. The Games run through October 4.

China’s Flag Bearers

Wu, a women’s boxer, becomes the first athlete from her sport to carry China’s flag at an Asian Games opening ceremony. Lianhe Zaobao reported that the delegation announced the pair on September 16, with Hu — the men’s national team captain who plays for the CBA’s Guangdong Dongyangguang — joining her in leading the team into the stadium.

Wu, born in 1995, is a “grand slam” champion with titles at the National Games, Asian Championships, Asian Games, World Championships and Olympics, and is a leader of China’s boxing program in the Los Angeles Olympic cycle. Speaking to the China News Service, she said she was honored and aware of the responsibility the role carries.

“The goal of the Chinese boxing team is always to raise the five-star red flag and let the national anthem play,” she said. China’s boxing squad sent 11 athletes covering all 11 men’s and women’s weight classes.

Early Competition Results

Results in the days before the ceremony set the tone for China’s Games. In women’s volleyball, China beat Kazakhstan 3-0 in its final group-stage match to top its group and reach the quarterfinals, with Zhuang Yushan scoring a team-high 16 points. Hong Kong China also won its first match of the Games, defeating Qatar 3-0. China faces Vietnam in the quarterfinals on September 20.

In men’s basketball, China lost 77-97 to Japan in the semifinal, missing the final for a second consecutive Asian Games. Japan will face South Korea for gold, while China meets Iran for the bronze medal on September 20.

Xinhua noted that China’s 12th finish atop the medal table is “not in doubt,” with attention focused instead on whether Japan or South Korea claims second place — and on new sports making their Asian Games debut, including mixed martial arts, teqball and virtual taekwondo.

This is Japan’s third time hosting the Asian Games, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. China is competing for the 14th time, having first appeared at the 7th Asian Games in 1974.

Logistics Controversy Clouds the Buildup

Even before the torch was lit, the Games were dogged by complaints from multiple national delegations over accommodation and transport, reported by Guancha.

To cut costs, organizers abandoned a dedicated athletes’ village, relying instead on a patchwork of a cruise ship capable of housing roughly 4,000 to 5,000 people, container-style housing for about 2,000, and scattered hotels — some as far away as Tokyo.

South Korea was among the most vocal critics. Jung Jae-yong, vice president of the Korean Basketball Association, called the container housing “the worst ever,” noting that players over two meters tall could not stretch their legs in their beds. Korean basketball player Byun Jun-hyung posted “please save us” on social media alongside video of a flooded bathroom floor.

Transport arrangements also drew sharp criticism. On September 15, buses carrying the South Korean and Qatari men’s football teams to their match got lost and dropped both squads at an adjacent baseball stadium, delaying them by more than 30 minutes. Vietnam’s women’s volleyball team was dropped at the wrong location and had to walk with heavy equipment in the sun. A computer network failure at the airport left athletes, coaches and officials from China, South Korea, India and elsewhere stuck in customs for hours, according to the report.

A separate incident compounded tensions when a September 15 welcome event featured imagery of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the 16th-century Japanese leader who invaded the Korean peninsula. Organizers acknowledged the controversy and said they would prevent a recurrence.

Organizing committee chairman Hideaki Omura said accommodation was being improved and that athletes’ safety was the top priority. A chief organizer told AFP the housing was “functional” and that officials were addressing the complaints.

What’s Next

China’s delegation has signaled confidence despite the rocky buildup. At a welcome ceremony, women’s basketball player Liu Yutong told the China News Service the team’s aim was to “go all out and fully focus on completing this tournament, facing every opponent with the fullest spirit, and taking the final victory.”

Hong Kong China’s delegation head Huang Baoji said his team of more than 800 people, including about 580 athletes across 38 events, hoped to roughly match its record haul from the Hangzhou Games.

With competition now underway, the coming days will test whether the operational troubles fade into the background — or continue to overshadow the athletes at the center of the Games.