Published : 04 Oct 2026, 05:16 PM
Updated : 04 Oct 2026, 05:15 PM
The 20th Asian Games closed on Sunday after a troubled fortnight that produced youthful sporting brilliance but was marred by organisational problems and low attendance.
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani declared the Games closed at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, with the torch passed to organisers of the next edition in Doha in 2030.
About 17,000 athletes and officials took part in the Aichi-Nagoya Games, more than at the Paris Olympics, competing across 469 gold-medal events held at venues stretching from Tokyo to Osaka.
The huge scale of the event clashed with organisers' plans for a "simple, streamlined and functional event", with athletes and teams repeatedly complaining about accommodation and transport problems.
Organisers issued several apologies as registration delays, double-booked rooms and shuttle bus failures disrupted teams throughout the Games.
The sporting action, however, was highlighted by a group of teenage stars led by China's 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi.
Yu was named female Most Valuable Player after winning three individual gold medals in the Tokyo pool. She also clocked the second-fastest time in the women's 200 metres individual medley, setting up a potential rivalry with Canada's world-record holder Summer McIntosh.
Her 19-year-old Chinese teammate Zhang Zhanshuo became the first swimmer to win seven gold medals at an Asian Games, while Japan's 17-year-old Shin Ohashi broke the world record in the men's 200m breaststroke.
China's 18-year-old Yan Ziyi won women's javelin gold with a world-class throw, while Thailand's 20-year-old sprinter Puripol Boonson won the men's 100m and 200m to claim the male MVP award.
No Games Village
Athletes competed despite repeated logistical failures and several diplomatic mix-ups.
"Accommodation, transport and other issues — it seems a lot of teams were affected," Hong Kong team chef de mission Wong Po-kee told Reuters on Sunday.
Rather than build a dedicated athletes' village, organisers housed athletes and officials across hotels, wooden container units and a cruise ship as part of efforts to reduce costs.
They had budgeted for around 15,000 athletes and officials, roughly 2,000 fewer than the final number of registrations, creating further pressure on accommodation and transport.
Some athletes waited as long as 12 hours to complete registration, while others discovered their rooms had been double-booked or assigned to the wrong teammates.
Transport problems persisted throughout the Games, with shuttle buses failing to arrive or taking competitors to incorrect venues, causing delays to several events.
South Korea's delegation was particularly critical, with its team chef de mission giving the Games' organisation an "F".
The men's football team also encountered an embarrassing incident when the South Korean flag was not raised for the national anthem at the medal ceremony after their victory over Japan in Saturday's final.
Earlier in the Games, the North Korean national anthem was played for South Korea's men's hockey team in another mix-up.
Attendance was another concern. Japan's first major multi-sport event since the Tokyo Olympics, which was held without spectators because of COVID-19 restrictions, drew sparse crowds.
Fewer than 1,000 spectators watched Japan beat South Korea in the women's football semi-final at a stadium with a capacity of 50,000. Several smaller venues were also largely empty, while some events were held in locations far from major population centres.
"If I had to say, well, I don't think it was a success," Nagoya resident Naoko Toda, who attended several events, told Reuters before the closing ceremony.
The OCA nevertheless declared Aichi-Nagoya a success and praised organisers for their cost-conscious approach.
China topped the medal table with 169 golds and 341 medals, its best performance at an Asian Games held outside the country.
Japan finished with 83 golds and 269 medals, surpassing its previous record at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima.
The Games also featured a record 43 sports, including debuts for padel, mixed martial arts, teqball and surfing, making the programme considerably larger than that of the Paris Olympics.
Qatar will host the next Asian Games in 2030, although the OCA may consider moving the event to 2031 so it can serve as a continental Olympic qualifier ahead of Brisbane 2032.
