Asian Games to be held in Japan for the first time in 32 years, questions about expansion and change in meaning

The Asian Games, which will be held in Japan for the first time in 32 years, has undergone major changes since the previous games in Hiroshima in 1994. In recent years, it has been pointed out that the general competition has been losing attention in Japan, but the ``Asian Olympics'' have grown larger and more diverse, reaching their 20th anniversary.

The power of sports to show solidarity The post-war Asian Games - Current status of the Asian version of the Olympics (1)

Less than 500 athletes participated in the first New Delhi Games in 1951. Since then, the number has expanded along with the economic development of Asia, and the number now exceeds 10,000. The cost to hold the Aichi-Nagoya Games, including the para-games, is approximately 370 billion yen. Due to soaring costs for materials and labor, the cost has increased by more than 3.5 times the original plan, putting a heavy burden on the venue. Although efforts were made to reduce the burden by not constructing an Olympic Village or by utilizing existing facilities, Aichi Prefecture Governor Hideaki Omura, who serves as chairman of the Games Organizing Committee, acknowledged that the ``surrounding situation is extremely difficult.'' Reducing weight gain is a common issue for the Olympics.

The significance of the tournament has changed over time. The competitiveness of the participating countries and regions increases year by year, and the stage where they compete to be the best in Asia has become a place with an eye on success at the Olympics. For sports that are not held at the Olympics, it is also a valuable opportunity to popularize the sport and gain new fans. Tetsuro Abe, a male kabaddi player, said, ``I want people to learn about the sport and pass it on to the next generation.'' Tournaments held in one's own country have especially great meaning.

At the Hiroshima Games held 32 years ago, the host city's ``legacy'' was not only the development of competition facilities and infrastructure, but also the international exchange of citizens. What will be left behind after the Aichi-Nagoya Games, which cost a huge amount of money? Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), said, ``We want this to be an event that not only gives you a sense of accomplishment, but also gives you a positive mindset for the next one.'' The value that cannot be measured by scale alone is at stake.