Around 15,000 athletes and officials are expected to participate in the Asian Games, which will be held in Nagoya and the wider Aichi region from September 19 to October 4.
Among the athletes set to compete are Philippine tennis star Alexandra Eala, 15-year-old Indian cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi.
Organisers are preparing a range of accommodation options for participants, including a cruise ship, wooden container-style units and hotels.
A flame-lighting ceremony was held in Tokyo on Tuesday, with another ceremony scheduled in Hiroshima on Thursday. The flames will be brought together in Nagoya on Saturday before the start of the official torch relay.
Kazuhiro Yagi, vice-secretary general of the Aichi-Nagoya Games organising committee, said preparations had entered their final phase.
“The final stages of preparation are now upon us,” Yagi told AFP, adding that organisers would continue working together until the event began.
Organisers have chosen temporary accommodation as part of efforts to reduce costs, with Italian cruise ship Costa Serena hired to house athletes.
Around 4,000 to 5,000 athletes are expected to stay aboard the vessel, which has 571 cabins, seven swimming pools, eight restaurants and nine bars.
Organisers said they were confident that Japan’s typhoon season would not disrupt the arrangements, despite September and October traditionally being active months for storms.
Another 2,000 athletes and officials will stay in wooden shipping container-style units at Nagoya’s Garden Pier, while others will be accommodated in hotels, including in Tokyo, where swimming, diving and equestrian events will be held.
Yagi said the accommodation was intended to provide athletes with opportunities to rest and interact with competitors from other countries.
Alexandra Eala will be among the leading athletes in Nagoya. The 21-year-old Filipino tennis player, currently ranked 20th in the world, became the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA singles title after claiming the Washington Open earlier this month.
Indian teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is also expected to attract attention after becoming the youngest cricketer to represent India last month when he made his Twenty20 debut against England.
He will be aiming for a gold medal at Japan’s newly constructed cricket venue, where defending champions India could potentially meet Pakistan in the men’s final.
Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi has also emerged as one of the sport’s promising young talents. She set an Asian record in the women’s 200-metre individual medley last year and will turn 14 in October.
China will seek to retain its dominance at the Games after topping the medal table at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with a record 201 gold medals.
The Asian Games will once again feature traditional events such as athletics, swimming and football alongside regional sports including kabaddi, sepak takraw and wushu.
The 20th edition will also introduce mixed martial arts, padel, teqball and virtual taekwondo.
Esports will return after making a successful debut at the Hangzhou Games, with organisers hoping the event will encourage people of all ages to engage with competitive gaming.
The Asian Games are returning to Japan for the first time since 1994. Yagi said excitement surrounding the event was steadily growing as the opening date approaches.
