Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Concludes with Colourful Closing Ceremony
The 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026 officially concluded on 4 October, bringing to a close 16 days of competition across Japan’s Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya. The closing ceremony was held at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, where athletes, officials and spectators gathered for the final celebration of Asia’s largest multi-sport event.
Beach volleyball athlete Aminath Areesha carried the Maldivian flag during the athletes’ parade, leading Team Maldives into the stadium as the participating delegations came together to mark the conclusion of the Games.
The ceremony reflected the Games’ official slogan, “Imagine One Asia”, through a programme combining the athletes’ parade, cultural performances and the formal extinguishing of the Asian Games flame. Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino attended the ceremony alongside Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
In his closing address, Sheikh Joaan recognised the athletes for elevating the standard of Asian sport before officially declaring the Games closed. The OCA flag was subsequently handed over to Qatar, formally beginning the countdown to the 21st Asian Games, which will be held in Doha in 2030. The handover presentation featured Qatar’s Olympic and world high jump champion Mutaz Barshim, together with the torch and flag from the inaugural Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1951.
Aichi–Nagoya 2026 brought together almost 11,000 athletes from all 45 National Olympic Committees in Asia. According to the OCA, 40 participating NOCs secured at least one medal, while the Games were supported by approximately 30,000 volunteers, 5,000 technical officials and 7,000 accredited media personnel. The organisers also reported a 19 per cent increase in income from marketing, sponsorship and broadcasting rights compared with the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
The Maldives was represented by 42 athletes across seven sports: athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, table tennis, swimming, shooting and surfing. The delegation recorded a series of national records in shooting and swimming, while the men’s 4 × 100-metre relay team clocked 41.76 seconds—the fastest Maldivian performance in the event since 2019.
Further notable results included Moosa Munsif Ahmed and Aishath Rafaa Nazim becoming the first Maldivian mixed doubles table tennis pair to reach the Round of 16 at an Asian Games. Sixteen-year-old surfer Yasin Ahmed Nashid progressed to the third round of the men’s shortboard competition, while the women’s beach volleyball pair of Aminath Areesha and Fathimath Anaal concluded their competition with a straight-set victory over Mongolia.
The Maldivian contingent is scheduled to return home on 6 October.
