2026 Asian Games: organisers keen on cricket competition despite Japan venue headache
- Lack of cricket facilities in country leaves officials eying new facility, with only international ground 3½ hours from host city
- But Olympic Council of Asia is keen to include sport, despite its poor showing at previous Games in Hangzhou
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is eager to have cricket at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan and is exploring the idea of converting a baseball stadium in Nagoya for this purpose.
Cricket administrators believe multi-sport events such as the Asian Games are an opportunity to boost the game, which will return to the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028 after a 128-year gap.
The sport featured in the Hangzhou Games in China last year, although it was far from being a success with rain largely ruining both the men’s and women’s events, and wasn’t part of the 2018 Games in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia.
“We are still working on the sports programme for the 2026 Games but yes, we would want cricket to be part of it,” Randhir Singh, the OCA acting president, said.
The lack of cricket facilities in Japan, however, remains an issue. And while there is an international cricket stadium in Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo, the OCA prefers a facility in or around Nagoya, the capital of Aichi prefecture where the Games will be held.
The Tochigi stadium would be a 3½-hour drive from Nagoya, said OCA deputy director general Vinod Kumar Tiwari, who visited Japan last month with an OCA coordination committee to oversee preparations.
“We are working with the Asian Cricket Council on this,” Tiwari said.
The programme for the 2026 Games will be finalised at an OCA General Assembly in April.
“It will be great to have cricket in the 2026 Games, and we at JCA will provide all kind of support,” Naoki Alex Miyaji, the Japan Cricket Association CEO, said.
“It would leave a fantastic legacy, and go a long way in promoting the game in the country.”
