The Asian Games are one of the biggest multi-sport events in Asia, bringing together athletes from across the continent. The 20th Asian Games, officially known as Aichi-Nagoya 2026, will take place in Japan and will feature a wide range of Olympic, Asian and emerging sports.
The official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 programme currently includes 43 sports, 71 disciplines and 469 events. Competitions are planned across 53 venues, covering everything from athletics stadiums and indoor arenas to swimming centres, tennis courts, cycling facilities and specialised venues.
For sports infrastructure companies, the Games are also an important example of how different sports facilities need to be designed, equipped and maintained according to the requirements of athletes and spectators.
Quick Answer
The Asian Games 2026 will feature 43 sports, including:
- Athletics
- Aquatics
- Archery
- Badminton
- Baseball and softball
- Basketball and 3×3 basketball
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Equestrian
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Hockey
- Judo
- Kabaddi
- Karate
- Padel
- Rugby
- Shooting
- Squash
- Swimming
- Table tennis
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Wushu
- And several other sports and disciplines
The official programme also includes newer or growing sports such as breaking, esports, padel, skateboarding, sport climbing, teqball and mixed martial arts. (Aichi Nagoya 2026)
When and Where Will the Asian Games 2026 Take Place?
The 20th Asian Games will be hosted by Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan.
The event uses a distributed venue model rather than relying on one single stadium. Official venue information lists competition locations across Aichi and other Japanese locations, including Nagoya, Okazaki, Toyota, Toyohashi, Gifu and Shizuoka.
This approach requires different types of sports infrastructure because every sport has its own technical requirements.
For example, athletics requires a suitable track and field area, while basketball requires an indoor court with appropriate flooring, lighting and spectator facilities. Swimming needs specialised pools and water-management systems, while football requires a competition-standard playing surface and supporting infrastructure.
Asian Games 2026 Sports List
1. Aquatics
Aquatics includes swimming, diving, artistic swimming and water polo.
These disciplines require specialised aquatic infrastructure such as competition pools, diving facilities, spectator areas, athlete preparation zones and technical systems for timing and water management.
The official venue plan includes the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, ToBiO Furuhashi Hironoshin Memorial Hamamatsu Swimming Center and Nagoya City General Gymnasium’s Rainbow Pool.
2. Archery
Archery is another sport included in the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
A proper archery facility needs controlled competition areas, shooting lanes, target systems, safety zones and adequate spectator arrangements.
3. Athletics
Athletics is among the most infrastructure-intensive sports at a multi-sport event.
It covers track and field competitions, while marathon and race walking require dedicated courses.
The official venue programme lists Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium for track and field and marathon-related activities, with a separate loop course planned for race walking.
A modern athletics venue generally requires:
- Synthetic running track
- Long jump and triple jump areas
- High jump facilities
- Throwing areas
- Field-event equipment
- Athlete warm-up areas
- Sports lighting
- Seating and spectator facilities
For sports infrastructure developers, athletics tracks are an important part of large-scale stadium planning.
4. Badminton
Badminton will be played at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.
Indoor badminton facilities require appropriate sports flooring, lighting, court markings, ventilation and sufficient clearance around the playing area.
The quality of the playing surface is particularly important because athletes need reliable grip, shock absorption and consistent movement.
5. Baseball and Softball
Baseball and softball are part of the 2026 programme.
The official venue list includes Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Baseball Stadium, Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium and Anjo Softball Ground.
These venues require specialised playing surfaces, drainage, seating, lighting and supporting player facilities.
6. Basketball and 3×3 Basketball
Basketball will feature both traditional basketball and 3×3 basketball.
The Aichi International Arena is listed for basketball, while a separate Kinjo Futo Station Square venue is planned for 3×3 basketball.
Indoor basketball facilities need:
- High-quality sports flooring
- Court markings
- Basketball goals
- LED lighting
- Player benches
- Scoreboards
- Spectator seating
The growing popularity of 3×3 basketball also demonstrates the demand for flexible and compact sports facilities.
7. Boxing
Boxing competitions will take place at Nishio Gymnasium.
A competition boxing venue needs a safe competition area, appropriate flooring, lighting, athlete preparation areas and seating for spectators.
8. Breaking
Breaking is included in the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 programme and is scheduled at Aichi Sky Expo.
The inclusion of newer sports highlights how modern sports facilities increasingly need to accommodate different types of competitions and event formats.
9. Canoe and Kayak
The programme includes canoe sprint and canoe slalom.
Different water courses are required for these disciplines. The official venue plan includes Miyoshi Lake Canoe Course and Yahagigawa Canoe Slalom Course.
10. Cricket
Cricket will feature in the 2026 Asian Games in the T20 format.
The official programme lists Korogi Athletic Park as the cricket venue.
Cricket infrastructure requires a suitable playing field, pitch preparation, drainage, boundary systems, practice nets, lighting where required and player facilities.
11. Cycling
Cycling includes several disciplines, including track cycling, road cycling, mountain biking and BMX.
The official programme lists venues such as Izu Velodrome, Shinshiro Cycling Road Course, Obata Ryokuchi Park and Nagoya Velodrome BMX Race Course.
This is a good example of how one sport can require several completely different facility designs.
12. Equestrian
Equestrian competitions include dressage, eventing and jumping.
These events require specialised riding arenas, courses, stable facilities and athlete and horse-support infrastructure.
13. Esports
Esports is also included in the 2026 programme.
The competition is scheduled at Aichi Sky Expo, showing the growing role of technology-driven sports in major international events.
14. Fencing
Fencing includes foil, épée and sabre.
The sport requires an indoor competition environment with dedicated pistes, lighting, scoring systems and athlete areas.
15. Football
Football is one of the most widely followed sports at the Asian Games.
The official venue list includes several stadiums and football grounds, including Toyota Stadium, Nagoya City Minato Soccer Field, WAVE STADIUM KARIYA, Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field, Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium, Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa and Nagai Stadium.
Football venues require carefully designed playing surfaces, drainage, irrigation, lighting, seating and player facilities.
16. Golf
Golf will be played at Kasugai Country Club East Course.
Unlike many stadium sports, golf requires extensive outdoor landscaping and course management.
17. Gymnastics
Gymnastics includes artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics.
These events require specialised indoor spaces, competition equipment, safety systems and appropriate flooring.
18. Handball
Handball requires a regulation indoor court, sports flooring, lighting, seating and player facilities.
The official venues include Kasugai City Gymnasium and ENTRIO.
19. Hockey
Hockey is another major field sport in the Asian Games.
The official venue is Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.
A modern hockey facility generally requires a specialised synthetic turf surface, irrigation, drainage, lighting and supporting infrastructure.
20. Judo
Judo will be held at the Aichi International Arena.
Indoor combat sports need appropriate mats, safe athlete zones, controlled access and spectator infrastructure.
21. Kabaddi
Kabaddi is particularly important in Asia and will feature at Tokai Citizen Gymnasium.
The sport requires a suitable indoor playing surface and clearly marked competition area.
22. Karate
Karate competitions will take place at Toyohashi Gymnasium.
The programme includes kata and kumite events.
23. Modern Pentathlon
Modern pentathlon combines multiple disciplines and therefore requires several types of sporting infrastructure.
The official venue plan lists Anjo Sports Park.
24. Padel
Padel is included in the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 programme.
Its inclusion is particularly interesting from a sports infrastructure perspective because padel requires specialised enclosed courts, glass panels, artificial turf or appropriate court surfaces, lighting and supporting structures.
25. Rowing
Rowing will take place at Nagaragawa International Regatta Course.
Large rowing events require long water courses, timing systems, athlete preparation facilities and spectator arrangements.
26. Rugby
Rugby sevens is included in the Asian Games programme.
The official venue is Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field.
27. Sailing
Sailing competitions will take place at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbor.
This type of sport requires specialised waterfront infrastructure and athlete support facilities.
28. Sepaktakraw
Sepaktakraw is another sport with strong roots in Southeast Asia.
The competition will take place at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Gymnasium.
29. Shooting
Shooting includes rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.
The Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery is listed as the competition venue.
30. Skateboarding
Skateboarding is part of the modern sports programme and requires specialised competition surfaces and course layouts.
31. Sport Climbing
Sport climbing will feature speed, bouldering and lead disciplines.
The competition venue is planned at Nagoya International Exhibition Hall, Portmesse Nagoya.
Squash is included in the programme and will be played at Nagoya Kinjo-Futo Arena.
Squash facilities require enclosed courts, appropriate flooring, wall systems and specialised lighting.
33. Surfing
Surfing competitions will take place at Pacific Long Beach in Tahara, Aichi.
Unlike traditional stadium sports, surfing infrastructure involves beach access, athlete facilities, safety systems and event operations.
34. Table Tennis
Table tennis requires indoor competition halls with controlled lighting, suitable flooring, playing areas and spectator arrangements.
35. Taekwondo
Taekwondo will include kyorugi and poomsae events, with the programme also listing virtual taekwondo.
36. Tennis
Tennis and soft tennis are included in the 2026 programme.
The official venue is Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
A professional tennis facility requires carefully constructed courts, appropriate surfaces, drainage, fencing, lighting and spectator areas.
37. Teqball
Teqball is another emerging sport included in the programme.
Its addition reflects the changing nature of multi-sport competitions and the growing demand for flexible sports facilities.
38. Triathlon
Triathlon combines swimming, cycling and running.
As a result, its event infrastructure needs to integrate several types of competition environments.
39. Volleyball
Volleyball and beach volleyball will both feature.
The official venue plan includes Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, Park Arena Komaki and Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court.
40. Weightlifting
Weightlifting competitions require specialised platforms, athlete preparation areas, safety systems and controlled indoor environments.
41. Wrestling
Wrestling includes freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines.
The official venue is Nagoya City Inae Sports Center.
42. Wushu
Wushu includes several taolu and sanda events.
It is among the Asian sports that demonstrate the regional character of the Asian Games programme. The inclusion of Wushu was part of the sport selection process for Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
43. Other Aquatic and Related Disciplines
Several sports include multiple disciplines within the same category. For example, aquatics covers swimming, diving, artistic swimming and water polo, while cycling includes road, track, mountain bike and BMX events.
This makes the Asian Games a useful case study in large-scale sports infrastructure planning.
What Does the Asian Games 2026 Mean for Sports Infrastructure?
A multi-sport event of this scale requires much more than stadiums and playing fields.
Every sport has different technical requirements. A facility needs to be designed according to the sport, level of competition, athlete safety requirements and expected spectator capacity.
Some of the major infrastructure requirements include:
Sports Flooring
Indoor sports such as basketball, badminton, volleyball, handball and squash require surfaces designed for athlete movement, grip and impact absorption.
Artificial Turf
Football and hockey facilities can require specialised synthetic turf systems depending on the competition requirements.
Athletic Tracks
Track-and-field competitions require high-quality synthetic running surfaces with proper construction, drainage and maintenance.
Stadium Lighting
Large sporting venues require lighting systems designed for athletes, spectators and, where applicable, broadcast requirements.
Drainage and Irrigation
Outdoor sports surfaces need effective drainage to maintain playing conditions during changing weather.
Sports Court Construction
Tennis, basketball, volleyball, badminton, squash and other court sports require sport-specific dimensions, surfaces and construction systems.
Why Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Is Important for Sports Infrastructure Trends
The Asian Games demonstrate how modern sporting events are becoming increasingly diverse.
Traditional sports continue to require large stadiums and specialised venues, while newer sports such as padel, teqball, breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing and esports are also becoming part of major sporting programmes.
For sports infrastructure providers, this creates opportunities to develop facilities that are:
- Multi-purpose
- Durable
- Athlete-friendly
- Easy to maintain
- Energy efficient
- Adaptable to different sports
- Designed for long-term use
The move toward multi-purpose facilities is particularly important for schools, universities, sports academies, clubs and community facilities that cannot dedicate an entire venue to one sport.
How Can Sports Infrastructure Companies Learn From Asian Games 2026?
Major sporting events provide useful examples for sports infrastructure planning.
Instead of looking only at the competition itself, facility developers can study:
- Playing surface requirements
Different sports need different surface technologies and performance characteristics. - Venue flexibility
Modern facilities increasingly need to support multiple sports and events. - Athlete safety
Flooring, turf, lighting, drainage and equipment all influence athlete performance and safety. - Spectator experience
Seating, visibility, access, lighting and circulation are essential parts of venue design. - Maintenance planning
A high-quality facility needs regular inspection and maintenance to remain safe and functional.
Final Thoughts
The Asian Games 2026 sports list shows how diverse modern sports infrastructure has become. From athletics tracks and football stadiums to badminton courts, hockey turf, swimming facilities, tennis courts and emerging sports venues, each discipline requires a carefully planned environment.
Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is expected to feature 43 sports across 53 competition venues, making it a useful benchmark for understanding large-scale sports facility planning.
For schools, universities, sports academies, clubs, government bodies and private developers planning new facilities, the key lesson is simple: sports infrastructure should be designed around the needs of athletes, the sport and long-term facility use.
Gallant Sports provides sports infrastructure solutions for a wide range of facilities, including sports flooring, artificial turf, athletic tracks, court construction and related sports facility requirements. A well-planned facility can improve playing conditions, safety and long-term usability while supporting the growing demand for quality sports spaces in India.
FAQs
1. How many sports are in the Asian Games 2026?
Answer: The current official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 programme lists 43 sports, 71 disciplines and 469 events. The programme was revised in June 2026, so the official schedule should be checked for the latest updates.
2. Where will the Asian Games 2026 be held?
Answer: The 20th Asian Games will be hosted in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan, with competitions distributed across multiple venues. The official venue plan lists 53 competition venues.
3. Is cricket included in the Asian Games 2026?
Answer: Yes. Cricket is included in the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 programme in the T20 format.
4. Is padel included in the Asian Games 2026?
Answer: Yes. Padel is included in the official sports programme for Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
5. Which sports infrastructure is needed for the Asian Games?
Answer: Different sports require different facilities, including athletics tracks, artificial turf, sports flooring, tennis courts, swimming pools, cycling venues, indoor arenas, stadium lighting, and specialised competition areas.
6. Why are major sporting events important for sports infrastructure?
Answer: Large sporting events demonstrate how professional sports facilities are designed, constructed and managed. They can also highlight new trends in multi-purpose venues, playing surfaces, athlete safety, sustainability and facility technology.
