Asian Games 2026: Top athletes and storylines to look out for

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkAlex Eala is one of many exciting athletes set to compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan [Leonardo Munoz/AFP]By Anushe EngineerPublished On 19 Sep 202619 Sep 2026Asia’s biggest sport stars will descend on Japan this week to battle it out for continental glory as the Asian Games get under way.Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will see several athletes eyeing first-time podium finishes while others look to defend their crown.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Alex Eala firm on Asian Games participation despite threat of WTA finelist 2 of 4Record-breaking Rumesh’s javelins broken during travel ahead of Asian Gameslist 3 of 4North Korea thrash Bangladesh 10-0 in Asian Games women’s footballlist 4 of 4South Korean officials decry ‘worst ever’ Asian Games accommodationend of listThis year’s edition will see six sports make their debut, while in some sports, a gold medal will double as automatic qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics.From Olympic champions to teen sensations to breakout stars, Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the top athletes to watch:Alex Eala, Philippines — tennisTennis’s newest sweetheart will be the favourite for gold in women’s singles. The 21-year-old Filipino star is coming off a career-high season that saw her first WTA 1000 title last month and a third-round finish at the US Open.Eala will compete at the Singapore Open just before the games, but will skip the concurrent Beijing Open – regardless of whether the WTA decide to punish her – since a gold medal at the Asian Games serves as automatic qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics.Defending champion Zheng Qinwen and former world number one Naomi Osaka will not be competing in Japan, leaving it wide open for Eala to claim gold and upgrade from the bronze she won in 2022.Eala acknowledges the crowd after defeating Mary Stoiana in the first round of the US Open in New York [Adam Hunger/AP Photo]Rumesh Pathirage, Sri Lanka — javelinThe javelin phenom has been collecting gold medals like Pokemon cards this year, and another one at the Asian Games will add to his Diamond League, Commonwealth, and Ultimate Champion crowns.But gold is not the biggest prize for the 23-year-old, although it is almost guaranteed after his nearest contender, India’s Neeraj Chopra, withdrew with injury. Pathirage is eyeing the Asian record of 92.97m set by Arshad Nadeem at the Paris 2024 Olympics, which he is poised to break after becoming the only thrower this season to breach 92m twice.Pakistan’s Nadeem, on the other hand, is far from fit and will be lucky to end his season with a medal after a string of subpar throws.Pathirage celebrates with the trophy after his victory in men’s javelin at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on September 13, 2026 [Ben Stansall/AFP]Haruka Kitaguchi, Japan — javelinHome favourite Kitaguchi is eyeing gold in the women’s javelin after being crowned Ultimate Champion in Budapest last week. Her 68.92m throw landed her a new national record and is tied for 10th-best in the world and second-best this season.Surprisingly, the 28-year-old is making her Asian Games debut and will look to add continental gold in front of the home crowd after floundering at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.Yan Ziyi, China — javelinAnother javelin powerhouse to watch is world number one Yan Ziyi. She became only the sixth woman in history to surpass the 70m mark with her 71.74m throw in May that became a new Asian and World Under-20 record.The Chinese teen sensation was unbeaten throughout the five Diamond League competitions she contested, but finished second to Kitaguchi at the Ultimate Championship after withdrawing with injury after one throw.Should she recover in time, the 18-year-old can snatch back the crown from the Japanese veteran thrower to end the season on a high note.Yan Ziyi heads to the Asian Games as world number one in the women’s javelin throw [Lintao Zhang/Getty Images/File]Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, India — cricketAs India look to defend their men’s cricket crown, all eyes are on 15-year-old Sooryavanshi to produce another phenomenal result on the pitch.The left-handed top-order batter has already made headlines for being a generational talent, having broken records as the highest scorer in this year’s Indian Premier League and become India’s youngest men’s player.India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in action at the third India v England T20I in Nottingham [Andrew Boyers/Reuters]Pan Zhanle, China — swimmingThe Olympic champion returns to the stomping grounds where he first went sub-47 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle – and became the first Asian male to do so – to break his own Asian record.It was also on home soil at the Hangzhou 2022 games that he bagged a silver in the 200m and 400m freestyle, a bronze in the 50m, and a gold in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay.Pan Zhanle celebrates after winning the men’s 100m freestyle final at the 2024 Summer Olympics [Petr David Josek/AP Photo]Yu Zidi, China — swimmingThe Chinese prodigy was only 12 when she made waves as the youngest-ever medallist at the 2025 World Swimming Championships. She narrowly missed a podium finish in her individual events but found redemption at the Chinese National Swimming Championships later that year with two golds, one silver, and an Asian record in the 200m Individual Medley.Now 13, she is looking to dominate at her first, hopefully of many, Asian Games where she’s entered in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 200m butterfly events, alongside relays.While training with the China team in Beijing, she told local media this month she was “excited” for her Asian Games debut.“Train well, don’t slack off. Demonstrate the level of your training and work hard to break past yourself,” she said, according to state news agency Xinhua.Yu Zidi of China competes in the Women’s 200m individual medley final at the China Open Swimming Championship in Shenzhen, China on March 22, 2026 [Lintao Zhang/Getty]