Asian Games 2026: Meet the six sports making their debut at Aichi-Nagoya

Asian Games 2026 will feature six sports making their debut, including padel, teqball, MMA, surfing, virtual taekwondo and BMX freestyle.

Updated : Sep 19, 2026 15:49 IST , CHENNAI - 3 MINS READ

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: Virtual taekwondo is one of the fastest growing sports across South Asia. | Photo Credit: AP

The Asian Games 2026 are all set to kick off in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday, with more than 11,000 athletes from 44 countries taking part in 43 sports.

While this year’s event features the conventional range of sports such as athletics, swimming, boxing and wrestling, there are quite a few sports that will be highlighted at the Asian Games for the first time.

Three years ago in Hangzhou, only breaking and esports made their debuts. In 2026, the number of new sports goes up to six.

Athletes will compete in padel, teqball, MMA, surfing, virtual taekwondo and BMX freestyle for the first time at an Asian Games. Here is a brief introduction to these sports:

Teqball

Nations will compete across men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed team events in teqball. | Photo Credit: AP

Teqball is a dynamic sport which combines table tennis and football. Players use almost every part of the body except the hands and arms to rally with a standard size five football across a curved table, divided by a transparent plexiglass.

Medals on offer: 15 medals across five events.

MMA

Mixed Martial Arts is the latest to join the club of combat sports at the Asian Games. Already a world-renowned sport, courtesy of UFC and One Championship, MMA combines hitting and striking with grappling and submission techniques.

Medals on offer: 18 medals across six events

Surfing

Surfing has been part of the Olympics programme since Tokyo 2020. | Photo Credit: AP

Surfing has been included in the Olympics programme in the past and will be contested at the Pacific Long Beach in Aichi at these Asian Games.

During this event, athletes ride about 10 to 12 waves within a set time, with rankings detemined by the combined score of their two best rides. Judges evaluate based on difficulty and creativity of maneuvers, as well as speed, power, and overall dynamism.

Medals on offer: Six medals across two events

Padel

Padel is one of the fatest growing racquet sports in the world.

At the Asian Games, it will be played only in doubles. The sport is a condensed version of tennis, with reinforced glass and wire-mesh walls surrounding the court. Players can return the ball even after it rebounds off the walls, creating uniquely three-dimensional rallies.

Medals on offer: Six medals across two events

BMX Freestyle

While BMX racing, short for bicycle motocross, is already part of the Asian Games programme, BMX freestyle makes its debut this year. | Photo Credit: AFP

BMX freestyle requires riders to execute a series of aerial maneuvers. They compete based on the difficulty, execution, and originality of their tricks, with crashing and putting a foot down on the ground costing them points.

Medals on offer: Six medals across two events.

Virtual Taekwondo

Taekwondo with an added twist. Unlike other combat sports, virtual taekwondo does not need the players to spar. Instead, they wear virtual reality glasses and motion censors, and are transported into a 3-dimensional combat arena.

Medals on offer: Four medals in one event

Published on Sep 19, 2026

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