Asian Games begin with Qatar basketball win, nine days before opening ceremony
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Basketball tipped off at the Aichi International Arena, the competition venue for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya.
PHOTO: AFP
Tokyo – The Asian Games began in Japan on Sept 10 when Qatar beat Iran in the men’s basketball opening group game, the first action in the continental multi-sport showpiece that has more participants than the Olympics.
Over 17,000 athletes and officials are expected to take part in 43 sports at the Aichi-Nagoya Games – which do not officially start until the opening ceremony on Sept 19 and will run until Oct 4.
Athletes from Singapore’s 304-strong contingent are scheduled to begin competing from Sept 16, with modern pentathlete Tahir Ahmed Ansari the first in action at the Anjo Sports Park in Aichi.
Other events such as basketball, football, cricket and hockey have also been scheduled before the opening ceremony.
Qatar held off a comeback from Iran to win their Group B encounter 59-35 at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya in the first match of a men’s basketball competition that will hold medal finals on Sept 20, the day after the opening ceremony.
“We know we need to win at least one game so we can qualify for the next round,” said Qatar’s Michael Lewis, the United States-born player who scored a game-high 21 points.
“Feels good to get some team camaraderie back, and now we have got to keep going.”
Later in Group B, Taiwan beat Jordan 83-80.
Los Angeles 2028 Olympics qualifying spots are up for grabs in several sports at the Asian Games, which return to Japan for the first time since 1994.
Organisers hope the athletes will have a “unique experience” staying in eye-catching accommodation ranging from a cruise liner to wooden containers to standard hotel rooms.
Officials are confident that the plan will not be affected by Japan’s typhoon season, usually in full swing between September and October.
The weather has already caused disruptions, with record rainfall on Sept 8 forcing hundreds of athletes to evacuate their accommodation briefly.
Rainwater also leaked into some competition venues, with more wet weather forecast for the coming days.
Among those in action at the Games will be Philippine tennis sensation Alexandra Eala and a pair of world-class teenage talents in 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi.
About 10,000 police officers will be mobilised for security at the opening ceremony in Nagoya in central Japan, the National Police Agency said on Sept 10.
The Sept 19 ceremony at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium will be attended by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, among others.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is not expected to take part in the ceremony.
Of the 10,000 officers, some 3,100 of them will be specially dispatched squads from police forces nationwide.
Areas within roughly 1km of the ceremony venue and the imperial couple’s accommodation will be designated as no-fly zones for drones under a recently enacted law that imposes tougher regulations on small, unmanned aircraft flights.
It will be the first application of the revised law for an event attended by the emperor.
To counter “lone wolf” terrorist attacks, the National Police Agency will establish on Sept 14 a centre to gather related information such as threatening posts on social media.
It will also use artificial intelligence for security efforts.
North Korea and Iran are among the countries taking part in the Games, which primarily take place in Aichi prefecture.
Some athletes will stay aboard a cruise ship at the Nagoya Port during the Games. Police authorities plan to strengthen vigilance in coordination with the Japan Coast Guard. AFP, KYODO NEWS
