Sports

Mixed martial arts, cricket to make debut in Asian Games next year in Japan

Olympic Council of Asia says MMA will feature six events but there is uncertainty over where the cricket matches will be played in Nagoya.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) will make its Asian Games debut next year when Japan hosts the continent’s premier sporting event, organisers said on Tuesday. Cricket was also formally approved for inclusion at the Games during a meeting in host city Nagoya on Monday – despite doubts about where exactly the sport would take place. “MMA will feature six events in its Asian Games debut and be classed as a discipline under combat sports,” the Olympic Council of Asia said.

The OCA and local organisers will hold meetings this week as they ramp up preparations for the 2026 Games, which will be in Nagoya and the wider Aichi prefecture. As many as 15,000 athletes could compete at the September 19 to October 4 Games next year – more participants than at the Olympics. The OCA said that cricket would be played somewhere in Aichi but it is unclear where because there is currently no venue in the prefecture for the sport.

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