Kuwait's flag raised at the Sports Village ahead of the Asian Games
The flag-raising ceremony for the State of Kuwait was held at the sports village in the headquarters of delegations participating in the 20th Asian Games, “Aichi-Nagoya 2026,” which will take place from September 19 to October 4.
The ceremony, which saw the Kuwaiti flag raised against the skies of Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, was attended by the head of the Kuwaiti delegation and Director General of the Kuwait Olympic Committee, Air Force Major General Engineer Mohammed Saeed Al-Khalafan, along with Deputy Head of the Delegation Dr. Hussein Al-Saied and several other delegation members.
The ceremony was held in a festive atmosphere, during which the Kuwaiti national anthem was played in sync with the raising of the flag, in a scene that embodied the athletes’ pride in representing Kuwait at this largest continental sporting event. On the occasion, Al-Khalafan stated that the Games represent a harvest of months of preparatory efforts, achieved through continuous coordination between the Olympic Committee and the sports federations to ensure physical and technical readiness and overcome all logistical obstacles. He emphasized that the ambition goes beyond mere participation to securing competitive and honorable results that enhance the standing of Kuwaiti sports on the continental stage.
In another development, the Kuwaiti Olympic team will conclude its training tomorrow, Thursday, in preparation for its match against Uzbekistan, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, in the second round of Group C, as part of the “Nagoya 2026” Asian Games.
Kuwait drew 1-1 with Vietnam in the first round, while Uzbekistan crushed the Philippines 5-1.
The technical staff, led by Spanish coach David Duninga, worked to rectify the mistakes and negatives made by the players in the match against Vietnam, a game in which the team failed to deliver the expected performance and the opponent came close to victory.
Duinga will finalize his tactical plan for the match against Uzbekistan tomorrow, based on the level displayed by the opponent against the Philippines, a team characterized by its offensive effectiveness, defensive solidity, and high fitness levels among its players.
The “Blue” (Kuwait’s national team nickname) is expected to rely on defensive tactics while launching counterattacks to breach the Uzbek net, a team that boasts skilled players, including several who are professional abroad.
The match against Uzbekistan is considered a “bottleneck” for the Blue, as securing a positive result would bring the team closer to advancing to the Round of 16, which will be decided in the final match against the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Duninga will make limited changes to the lineup for the upcoming match, particularly given his inclination to adopt an offensive approach. He is weighing the options of starting Fawaz Al-Mubailish or Talal Al-Qaisi from the outset.
On the field in other sports, athletes Rataj Abdul-Hussein and Hubari Al-Thuwaini will compete in the women’s individual semifinals of modern pentathlon at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. Modern pentathlon includes the disciplines of fencing, show jumping, swimming, and the “laser-run” event, as they seek to advance to the final.
Nasser Al-Waleed, President of the Kuwait Modern Pentathlon Club, explained that the participation is the result of the three qualification spots earned at the previous Asian Championship. He noted that the competition features 36 athletes from 14 countries, who begin their journey directly from the semifinals. Kuwait is represented in the men’s competition by Mohammed Al-Sahibi, with all athletes in high technical readiness.
In the teqball competition, Zaid Eidan will open Kuwait’s campaign in the men’s singles qualifiers at 3:00 a.m., seeking a berth in the advanced rounds. He will be followed by the duo of Basel Ahmed and Abdulwahab Al-Qattan in the men’s doubles qualifiers at 7:30 a.m., armed with hopes of a strong start to pave the way toward the final stages of the Asian arena.
