Cover The biggest names in Asian sport are heading to Japan. From Olympic heroes and world champions to rising stars, the 2026 Asian Games promise plenty of storylines to follow across the competition. In photo: Pan Zhanle of Zhejiang (Photo: Di Yin/Getty Images)
The biggest names in Asian sport are heading to Japan. From Olympic heroes and world champions to rising stars, the 2026 Asian Games promise plenty of storylines to follow across the competition. In photo: Pan Zhanle of Zhejiang (Photo: Di Yin/Getty Images)
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Meet the Olympic champions, world-record holders and rising stars set to compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan
The 2026 Asian Games are set to bring some of Asia’s biggest sporting names together when competition begins in Japan on 19 September. Hosted across Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, with events also taking place in cities including Tokyo and Osaka, the 20th edition of the continental multi-sport event will feature around 17,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions. The programme includes 469 medal events across 43 sports, making it one of the biggest sporting gatherings on the Asian calendar.
The field includes Olympic champions, world champions, world-record holders and established continental stars. Some are returning to the Asian Games after successful campaigns at Hangzhou 2022, while others arrive with significantly greater international profiles after their performances at the Paris Olympics. Several events will also have added significance as Aichi-Nagoya 2026 serves as a qualification pathway for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in selected sports.
Here are some of the athletes attracting the most attention ahead of the Games.
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Pan Zhanle (China - Swimming)
Pan Zhanle heads into Aichi-Nagoya as the world-record holder in the men’s 100m freestyle. He set the record of 46.40 seconds while winning Olympic gold in Paris, where he also collected gold in the men’s 4x100m medley relay and silver in the mixed 4x100m medley relay.
His Asian Games record is already impressive. At Hangzhou 2022, Pan won seven medals, including three golds. With swimming taking place at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, the Paris Olympic champion will be one of the biggest names in a Chinese squad packed with international experience.
Carlos Yulo (Philippines - Gymnastics)
Carlos Yulo arrives in Japan as a double Olympic champion. At Paris 2024, he won gold in both the men's floor exercise and vault, becoming the first Filipino male athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.
Yulo has also established a substantial record at the World Championships, where he is a six-time medallist and former world champion on both floor and vault. His return to the Asian Games gives him another opportunity to add a continental title to a résumé that already includes two Olympic golds.
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Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan - Track and Field / Javelin)
Arshad Nadeem remains one of the biggest names in men’s javelin following his historic performance at Paris 2024. His winning throw of 92.97m set an Olympic record and delivered Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medal in athletics.
Nadeem also won the javelin title at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He will face a strong field in Aichi-Nagoya, including Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who recently became the world No. 1 after winning the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
An Se-young (South Korea - Badminton)
An Se-young enters the Asian Games as the world’s No. 1 women’s singles player and the reigning Olympic and world champion. She won Olympic gold in Paris before adding another world title in 2026.
Her combination of movement, defence and consistency has made her one of the defining players in women’s badminton. With South Korea among the sport’s major powers, An will be one of the central figures in the individual competition in Aichi-Nagoya.
Haruka Kitaguchi (Japan - Track and Field / Javelin)
Haruka Kitaguchi will compete at her home Asian Games as the reigning Olympic and world champion in women’s javelin. She won the 2023 World Championships in Budapest before taking Olympic gold at Paris 2024.
She also arrives in exceptional recent form. On 12 September, just days before the Asian Games, Kitaguchi threw 68.92m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest to break her own Japanese record. She won the competition ahead of China’s Yan Ziyi, setting up another meeting between the pair in Japan.
EJ Obiena (Philippines - Track and Field / Pole Vault)
EJ Obiena returns to the Asian Games as the defending men’s pole vault champion. At Hangzhou 2022, he cleared 5.90m to win gold and establish the Asian Games record.
Obiena has since become the first Asian vaulter to clear six metres in competition, further establishing his position among the world’s leading athletes in the event. The Philippines will look to him to defend the title he won three years ago.
Shreyas Iyer and Jasprit Bumrah (India - Cricket)
India’s men’s T20 squad combines established international players with younger talent, with Shreyas Iyer named captain and Jasprit Bumrah included among the team’s fast-bowling options.
India won the men’s T20 gold medal at Hangzhou 2022 when cricket returned to the Asian Games. The 2026 squad therefore enters Aichi-Nagoya as defending champion, with Iyer providing leadership and Bumrah bringing experience from India’s senior international side.
Harmanpreet Kaur (India - Cricket)
Harmanpreet Kaur will captain India’s women’s T20 side as the team attempts to defend its Asian Games title. Smriti Mandhana has been named vice-captain.
India won the women’s T20 gold medal at Hangzhou 2022, making Kaur’s team one of the squads carrying a title into the 2026 competition. Her experience as India’s long-serving women’s captain will be central to a side returning to the continental stage as defending champions.
Alexandra Eala (Philippines - Tennis)
Alexandra Eala enters Aichi-Nagoya as the world’s No. 18 women’s singles player, according to the current WTA rankings. She has also confirmed her decision to represent the Philippines at the Asian Games despite a scheduling clash with the China Open.
Eala already has Asian Games experience. At Hangzhou 2022, she won bronze in both women’s singles and mixed doubles. Her return comes after a significant rise on the professional tour, making her one of the Philippines’ most closely watched athletes in Japan.
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Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
