Kuwait to participate in the 'Aichi-Nagoya 2026' Asian Games in Japan

The Olympic Village in Nagoya, Japan, witnessed the raising of the Kuwaiti flag on Wednesday, marking the participation of the official Kuwaiti sports delegation in the 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026), which will take place from September 19 to October 4.

Attending the flag-raising ceremony were the Director General of the Kuwait Olympic Committee and Head of the Delegation, Brigadier General (Retired) Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Deputy Head of the Delegation Dr. Hussein Al-Saeed, Financial Director Mohammed Atef, along with several members of the Kuwaiti delegation and officials from the participating sports federations.

The ceremony took place in a festive atmosphere, with the Kuwaiti national anthem played as the flag was raised—a scene familiar to Kuwaiti athletes before the start of major continental championships, expressing their pride in national affiliation and representing Kuwait at the largest sporting event in Asia.

On this occasion, Brigadier General (Retired) Al-Khalifa stated in a press interview that the raising of the Kuwaiti flag represents a moment of pride for all delegation members, praising the efforts of the Kuwait Olympic Committee in preparing athletes and providing all necessary support to achieve the best results at the Games.

He added that this participation is the culmination of a preparation and training phase that spanned several months, during which full coordination was carried out with the relevant national sports federations to ensure the technical and physical readiness of the players, overcome all obstacles, and provide logistical and administrative capabilities that guarantee a suitable competitive environment.

He noted that the Committee is closely monitoring the final preparations of the delegation, explaining that the goal goes beyond mere participation to achieving respectable competitive results that reflect the level reached by Kuwaiti sports and consolidate the country’s presence at major Asian forums.

He clarified that the Kuwait modern pentathlon team is competing for top positions, and that players Rutaj Abdulhussain and Hubairi Al-Thuwaini are continuing their journey in the women’s individual semi-finals of modern pentathlon, which includes fencing, hurdles, swimming, and running (laser-run).

He mentioned that the two players are keen to deliver outstanding performances in this crucial stage, hoping to achieve a result that qualifies them to continue toward the final stages of the competition.

Al-Khalifa pointed out that player Zaid Aidan begins his participation in the men’s individual teqball qualifiers, aiming to advance to the later rounds of the tournament. Meanwhile, the pair Basil Ahmad and Abdulwahab Al-Qattan compete in the men’s doubles qualifiers, hoping for a strong start that enhances their chances of reaching the final rounds.

For his part, Nasser Al-Waleed, President of the Kuwait Modern Pentathlon Club, said in a similar statement that the team began its participation in the Asian Games (Nagoya 2026) based on qualification slots earned during its participation in last year’s Asian Championship in Japan, which resulted in Kuwait securing three qualification spots (two for women and one for men).

Al-Waleed said the Games feature strong competition with 36 players representing 14 Asian countries, with competitions starting directly from the semi-finals according to the tournament format. He noted that in the fencing qualifiers within modern pentathlon, player Mohammed Al-Sahbi represents Kuwait in the men’s category, while players Hubairi Al-Thuwaini and Rutaj Abdulhussain compete in the women’s category.

He expressed confidence in the administrative and technical staff of the national team, as well as their high aspirations and belief in the national team players’ ability to deliver outstanding performances and reach advanced stages, emphasizing the players’ readiness to compete at the highest levels to raise the Kuwaiti flag at this continental tournament.