NAGOYA, Apr 29 (KYODO/APP): Cricket and mixed martial arts have been added to the 2026 Asian Games, to be co-hosted by Japan’s Aichi Prefecture and its capital Nagoya.
The organizing committee of the games announced the decision at Monday’s board meeting in Nagoya, following a request from the Olympic Council of Asia. Open water swimming has been excluded from the program.
The committee said it is trying to stage cricket within the prefecture, which has no venue for the sport at present.
The committee is also in talks with municipalities, which have cricket facilities.
Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, has been seen as one option as the city has hosted domestic and international cricket events.
Earlier this week at the Sano International Cricket Ground, Japan’s men’s team qualified for the Under-19 World Cup for the second time in their history. The tournament will be held in Namibia and Zimbabwe in early 2026.
As for football, the committee said the number of participating teams will be 16 each for men and women, less than initially expected. It was also decided that Kyoto and Hyogo Prefectures will not host matches.