The opening ceremony of the 20th Summer Asian Games took place at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in the Japanese city of Nagoya, infohub.kz reports.
The ceremony began with a brief introductory segment: the Japanese flag was raised and the national anthem was played. Then came the parade of participating nations, with representatives of all 45 Asian Olympic committees appearing on the arena, along with a refugee team.
Kazakhstan's flag was carried by judoka Yeldos Smetov and table tennis player Sarvinoz Mirkadirova.
Official welcoming speeches were delivered by a representative of the host country and by Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Olympic Council of Asia. The athletes' oath was also administered.
The 2026 Asian Games torch relay was completed by several renowned Japanese athletes. The flame cauldron was lit by Shigenobu and Koji Murofushi, a father and son who are decorated hammer throwers.
The show program featured musical and dance performances in costume. In total, the opening ceremony lasted two hours.
The first medal day of the 2026 Asian Games will be September 20. A total of 469 medal events will be contested through October 4 inclusive.
Kazakhstan will be represented by 558 athletes in 35 of the 43 declared sports. NUR.KZ publishes a daily schedule of competitions involving the national team.