New Delhi .Asian Games 2026 is going to be organized from 19 September to 4 October in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan. This time around 15 thousand players and officials from the continent will be a part of this big sports event. Along with the experienced players, special attention will be kept on many young talents in the competition, among which China's 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi and India's 15-year-old cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi are prominent names.
Yu Jidi is one of the youngest high-profile players to participate in the event. Her age is currently 13 years and she will be 14 years old in October. At such a young age, he has made his own mark in international swimming. Last year, she had set an Asian record in the women's 200 meter individual medley event.
Now Yu Jidi will be part of China's strong swimming team in the Asian Games. China had performed brilliantly in the last Asian Games and dominated the medal tally. China won a record 201 gold medals in the 2023 event held in Hangzhou. China is also expected to show a strong performance in Nagoya and young talents like Yu Jidi can strengthen its medal hopes.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi from India will also be the main youth attraction of this event. 15 year old Vaibhav has made his mark in the world of cricket at a young age. After recently making his debut in international cricket, he has become the youngest cricketer to play T20 International for India.
The Indian men's cricket team will enter the Asian Games as the defending champions. In such a situation, a gold medal is once again expected from the team. The cricket competitions will be played on the new cricket grounds prepared in Japan. The possible match between India and Pakistan can also be included in the most talked about matches of the tournament.
Philippines tennis player Alexandra Ila will also be the center of attraction in the Asian Games. She is now 21 years old, but has made a strong mark in international tennis at an early age. Earlier this month, she won the Washington Open title and achieved the distinction of becoming the first female player from the Philippines to win a WTA title.
This time, the living arrangements of the players in the Asian Games are also under discussion. Organizers have arranged for temporary accommodation alongside traditional hotels to keep expenses down. About 4,000 to 5,000 players will stay on the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena. The ship has 571 cabins, as well as seven swimming pools and eight restaurants.
About 2,000 players and officials will stay in temporary accommodation built in the Garden Pier area of Nagoya. Hotel arrangements have been made for the remaining people. Some competitions like swimming, diving and horse riding will be held in Tokyo, so accommodation arrangements have been made there for the players and officials concerned.
Along with traditional sports, many new events will also be seen in the Nagoya Asian Games. Sports like Mixed Martial Arts, Paddle, Teqball and Virtual Taekwondo are included. E-sports will also return. The Asian Games are being held in Japan for the first time since 1994. In such a situation, India will be eyeing cricket gold, while young talents like Yu Jidi and Vaibhav will be the subject of special discussion in the entire event.