Nagoya: The 20th edition of the Asian Games commenced with a grand celebration in Nagoya, the main host city, as thousands of athletes from 45 nations gathered for Asia's premier sporting event. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, named after Aichi Prefecture and its capital, Nagoya, marks the third time Japan has hosted the event, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. While Nagoya serves as the main venue, several sports will be held in other locations, including Tokyo for swimming and Osaka and Shizuoka for some football matches.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the event is organized under the slogan "Imagine One Asia," with athletes competing for 469 gold medals across 43 sports and 71 disciplines until October 4. The opening ceremony, directed by Nagoya-born filmmaker Yukihiko Tsutsumi, took place at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium under the theme "Harmonic Heart Beat," symbolizing the unity and connection of athletes from across the continent. The stage was designed in the shape of a large heart, embodying the spirit of hospitality that Nagoya and Aichi are known for.
During the ceremony, athletes marched into the stadium in alphabetical order based on their countries' names. South Korea, officially known as the "Republic of Korea," was the 16th country to enter, positioned between Kazakhstan and Kuwait. The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee reports that South Korea is participating in 41 out of 43 sports, excluding cricket and padel, with a delegation of 1,051 athletes and officials. Among them, 50 athletes and officials from nine sports attended the opening ceremony, with table tennis star Shin Yu-bin and veteran rower Kim Dong-yong serving as co-flag bearers.
Shin Yu-bin, 22, will compete in multiple events, including women's singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and team events. She and her partner, Lim Jong-hoon, hold the world No. 1 spot in mixed doubles and are strong medal contenders. At the 2023 Asian Games, Shin secured four medals, including gold in women's doubles. Kim Dong-yong, 35, has been a representative of South Korea for 17 years and will compete in men's double sculls and quadruple sculls, with high hopes for a medal in the latter.
South Korea aims to secure approximately 45 gold medals in an effort to narrow the gap with Japan in the medal tally, as China is anticipated to lead the competition. In the previous Asian Games, Japan secured second place with 52 gold medals, 10 more than South Korea. The South Korean athletes are set to pursue multiple golds on Sunday, with Jun Woong-tae and Seong Seung-min as favorites in modern pentathlon and Lee Jun-suk in the men's singles teqball, a new addition to the Asian Games. The men's basketball team will also face Japan in the gold medal match.
Meanwhile, the swimming competitions will commence in Tokyo, featuring South Korean swimmers Hwang Sun-woo, a six-time medalist from 2023, and Kim Young-beom, who will compete in the men's 100-meter freestyle.