Wednesday 16 / September / 2026
MUSCAT: The Oman flag was raised at the Athletes’ Interaction Area next to the Sports Village in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday, marking the country’s official presence at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 as Omani athletes stepped up their preparations for the continental showpiece.
The ceremony, held in rainy conditions, was attended by members of Oman’s administrative delegation and also featured the raising of the flags of Qatar, the Maldives and Bhutan.
Representatives of the four countries took part in the ceremony before the Omani national anthem was played and the national flag raised.
Naoki Matsuo, deputy director of accommodation for the Games organising committee, welcomed the delegations and pledged support to ensure their stay and participation ran smoothly. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Oman delegation head Mohammed Al Rahbi exchanged commemorative gifts with representatives of the organising committee.
The Sports Village is accommodating thousands of athletes and officials, with several facilities constructed using temporary structures. The organisers have also provided floating accommodation aboard the cruise ship Costa Serena.
The flag-raising came as Oman’s teams continued their final preparations, with the sailing delegation arriving in Nagoya on Wednesday and the hockey team scheduled to hold its final training session on Thursday.
The hockey team, coached by Mohammed Hobeis, will train at Asahi University before beginning its Asian Games campaign. The squad has been in Japan early to adapt to the conditions after a period of training camps and preparatory matches.
The sailing delegation arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport on Wednesday and, after completing accreditation procedures, headed to its accommodation.
The four sailors are Ahmed Al Hasani and Waleed Al Kindi in the 49er class, and Firas Al Nabhani and Tamim Al Balushi in the 29er class. They are accompanied by coach Zakariya bin Sulaiman Al Wahabi and team manager Hashim Al Rashdi. Fabrice Jaunet is with the team as 29er coach.
The sailors recently completed a training camp in Al Musannah, focusing on tactical and technical development, boat handling, physical conditioning, crew coordination and decision-making during races. They also attended several training camps in Europe during the summer.
Oman’s sailors will hold a final training camp in Japan from September 17 to 23 before beginning competition. Sailing events are scheduled to start on September 26.
The team will seek to build on Oman’s historic sailing performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games, where Musab bin Mohammed Al Hadi and Waleed Al Kindi won silver in the 49er class — the country’s first Asian Games medal in sailing.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games officially open on Saturday and run until October 4, although some competitions began earlier. The Games feature a record 43 sports, with athletes from 45 countries and regions expected to compete.
Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture, is hosting the Asian Games for the third time in Japan after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The city is one of Japan’s major industrial and technology centres and will serve as the main hub for the Games, with competitions also taking place across the wider Aichi region.
