The Asian Games are the continent’s premier sporting event for Asia’s finest athletes and nations. Held every four years since 1951, it is the largest and most prestigious multi-sport competition in the continent with 40 sports and 15,000 athletes and team officials. The games are organized by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Each edition of the Asian Games has a mascot. Typically, it’s an animal native to the host country or a human figure representing cultural heritage.
In 2026, the mascot will be Honohon, the golden deer of Japan, designed by sculptor Hideki Noguchi. This is the first time a Japanese deer has been chosen as a mascot of the Asian Games, although a Japanese deer was used for the Tokyo 1952 and 1958 games.
A number of unique Asian sports, such as kabaddi and sepak takraw, have been held at the Asian Games, alongside Olympic sports. The Asian Games has also served as a platform for several new events to gain acceptance in the global sport scene, including martial arts and golf.
The 2026 Asian Games will include two events that have never been included before – cricket and mixed martial arts. MMA will feature six medal events in its Asian Games debut, and will be classed under Combat Sports alongside kurash and jujitsu. The inclusion of cricket is also of interest because it will mark the sport’s return to the Olympics after a century-long absence, with its solitary appearance being at Paris 1900 when Great Britain beat France.