Asian Games 2026: First Two Days See China Set the Pace as India Makes Strong Start
The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, began on September 19 with athletes from across Asia competing in a wide range of sports. The opening two days of competition produced a lively medal race, with China quickly establishing a substantial lead while hosts Japan and South Korea also made strong starts. By the end of Day 2, 12 countries had won at least one gold medal, while a number of other nations had already opened their medal accounts with silver and bronze medals. The Games feature athletes from 45 countries and regions competing across 43 sports. China dominated the opening two days and quickly moved clear at the top of the medal table. The Chinese contingent was particularly impressive in shooting and swimming, two sports that provided a large proportion of its early gold medals. Among the standout performances was 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi, who won her second gold medal of the Games in the women's 200m individual medley and set a new Asian Games record. China als...