The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games ended on Sunday night in Japan after 16 days of competition, with China finishing first on the medal table. According to figures reported by The Hindu, China collected 341 medals, ahead of host nation Japan with 250, South Korea with 143 and India, fourth, with 85. More than 15,000 athletes and officials from 45 nations took part in the quadrennial multi-sport event, held in and around Nagoya, a major industrial city in central Japan.

The Games produced a number of standout performances, many from teenagers. Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi, just 13, was named the female Most Valuable Player after winning three golds and setting three Games records; her 2:06.10 in the 200m individual medley is a world junior record. Compatriot Zhang Zhanshuo, 19, won seven golds, the most of any athlete at the Games. China won 30 of the 41 gold medals in the pool, with Japan next on seven. Japan's Shin Ohashi, 17, broke the world record in the men's 200m breaststroke, and 11-year-old e-sports player Yuki Kurihara became the youngest gold medallist in Asian Games history. In athletics, China's Yan Ziyi threw 70.46 metres in the women's javelin, a Games record.

India's campaign ended with a late gold rush, including wins in men's cricket, men's and women's hockey, golf and archery. South Korea, meanwhile, finished third for the third consecutive Games, but with 39 golds, its lowest total since 1982 and short of its target of 40 to 45. It was well behind Japan, while India took 21 golds. Korean officials pointed to disappointing results in swimming, archery, table tennis and wrestling, though the country swept both men's and women's basketball titles for the first time in 12 years. Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, said teams from Central and Southeast Asia are improving fast, adding that it is "no longer just China and Japan."

The organisation of the Games drew heavy criticism. To cut costs and follow eco-friendly policies, organisers built no athletes' village, instead housing participants in hotels, on a cruise ship and in temporary container units. Athletes complained about leaking containers, small beds and poor meals. Buses repeatedly ran late, got lost or were mixed up, including one swap between the South Korean and Pakistani teams that delayed a Pakistan match. At times the wrong anthem was played or a flag was not raised properly, and a welcome event featuring the 16th-century warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who led Japanese invasions of Korea, angered the South Korean public. Ryu said the organisers deserved "a failing grade."

The problems matter because the Olympic Council of Asia is already seeking to restore the Games' prestige and popularity. According to Yonhap, it is considering holding the event in the year before the Summer Olympics and using some events as Olympic qualifiers to attract top athletes and boost public interest.