Tokyo, Sept. 15 (Jiji Press)–The Asian Games, the largest international multisport event in Asia, which will kick off in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi on Saturday, has grown in size and content during its history of more than 70 years, reflecting the economic development in the region. <div class=”photo left”><figure><img src=”http://pic.d.jw.jiji.com/edit/pict/daily/202609/14fl08S_t.jpg” alt=” Naoko Takahashi finishes the women’s marathon in a then Japanese record time at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 6, 1998.” /></figure><div class=”figcaption”> Naoko Takahashi finishes the women's marathon in a then Japanese record time at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 6, 1998.</div></div> The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will run until Oct. 4, will be the third summer Asian Games to be hosted by Japan and the first in 32 years. The quadrennial Games “embody the true power, solidarity and shared vision of uniting Asia as one,” said Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Olympic Council of Asia, last month. The Games have long promoted peace, friendship and cooperation among Asian nations. The first Asian Games took place in the Indian capital of New Delhi in 1951 with the aim of bringing together Asian countries divided by World War II. Eleven countries and regions, sending a total of fewer than 500 athletes, took part in the regional sporting event. According to the OCA, the Aichi-Nagoya Games will bring together more than 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions, including a delegation of refugees. The Games will feature 43 sports, more than the Olympics, including not only the major ones such as athletics, judo, swimming and soccer, but also sports that have their roots in Asia, such as kabaddi and sepak takraw. The Games will also provide an opportunity to draw attention to cricket and squash, which will be included in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, western Japan, marked a turning point in the Games’ history as they were hosted in a noncapital city for the first time and joined by as many as 42 countries and regions, with former Soviet republics in Central Asia making their debut, helping to boost solidarity in the Asian region. The growing scale of the Asian Games has been accompanied by increasing costs. The costs of the Aichi-Nagoya Games have ballooned to some 370 billion yen, including costs for the Asian Para Games, more than 3.5 times the initial estimate due mainly to surging material and labor costs. The huge costs have weighed heavily on the hosts. Despite efforts to reduce costs by using existing facilities and not building a traditional athletes village, “The circumstances surrounding the Games are very challenging,” said Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura, who heads the 2026 Asian Games organizing committee. Attention is also focused on what kind of legacy the Aichi-Nagoya Games will leave beyond the competition itself. The Asian Games have played an important part in the growth of Japan’s sports community. For Japan, which was not invited to the 1948 London Olympics shortly after World War II, the first Asian Games provided an opportunity to return to the international sporting arena. Ahead of the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, the first Games hosted by Japan, the sporting environment in the capital was improved, such as by the construction of a national stadium. Helped by the image of successful postwar reconstruction, this eventually led to Japan’s successful bid to host the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Asian Games are said to serve as a stepping stone to the Olympics, and many Japanese star athletes have made their mark at the Games early in their careers, including Olympic gold medalists Kosei Inoue in men’s judo, Kosuke Kitajima in men’s swimming and Naoko Takahashi in women’s marathon. Unlike the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which were held largely without spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Aichi-Nagoya Games will welcome fans from Japan and overseas. Whether the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the event can further strengthen solidarity across Asia remains to be seen. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
