The flag of Oman was raised in the athletes' interaction area next to the Nagoya sports village in Japan on Wednesday, marking the official presence of the country at the 20th edition of the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026. This event coincided with the final preparations of Omani athletes for this continental showcase.
Flag Raising Ceremony
This ceremony, held in rainy conditions, was attended by members of the Omani administrative board and was accompanied by the raising of the flags of Qatar, Maldives, and Bhutan. Representatives from four countries participated in the ceremony, and after the national anthem of Oman was played, the flag of the country was raised.
Naoki Masuo, the deputy director of accommodation for the organizing committee of the games, welcomed the delegations and expressed his commitment to support their accommodation and participation in this event. At the end of the ceremony, Mohammed Al-Rahbi, the head of the Omani delegation, exchanged commemorative gifts with representatives of the organizing committee.
Final Preparations of Omani Teams
The sports village is hosting thousands of athletes and officials, and several facilities have been constructed using temporary structures. Additionally, floating accommodations have been arranged on the Costa Serena cruise ship to host the athletes.
The Omani teams are continuing their final preparations. Specifically, the sailing team arrived in Nagoya on Wednesday, and the hockey team has planned to hold their final training session on Thursday. The hockey team, coached by Mohammed Habais, will practice at Asahi University and will begin their competitions after this period.
The sailing team, which consists of four sailors, also arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport on Wednesday and proceeded to their accommodation after completing the verification process. These sailors include Ahmed Al-Hosni and Walid Al-Kindi in the 49er class and Firas Al-Nabani and Tamim Al-Balushi in the 29er class.
The Omani sailing team will be training in Japan from September 17 to 23 for their final preparations, with sailing competitions starting on September 26. The team is striving to build on their historic performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games, where Musab bin Mohammed Al-Hadi and Walid Al-Kindi won the silver medal in the 49er class.
The Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya will officially open on Saturday and will continue until October 4. This event includes 43 sports disciplines and is expected to see athletes from 45 countries and regions participating.
