Vietnam's flag was raised in Nagoya, Japan, on September 18, marking the delegation's official presence at the 20th Asian Games ahead of two weeks of competition.
The flag-raising ceremony is one of the official events held ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, marking the Vietnamese sports delegation's presence at Asia's largest multi-sport event.
On the morning of September 18, a formal welcome and flag-raising ceremony for the Vietnamese delegation to the 20th Asian Games was held at Fuji Plaza, Garden Pier, at the Port of Nagoya in Japan.The moment Vietnam's red flag with a yellow star was raised over the Port of Nagoya brought a sense of national pride while giving the country's athletes added motivation ahead of the important days of competition.Vietnam's flag flies at the Asian Games.Each delegation was allowed to send up to 14 members to the ceremony. The program included introductions of participating delegations, cultural performances, welcoming remarks, the flag-raising ceremony, an exchange of commemorative gifts and a group photo session.Following the formal ceremony, the Vietnamese delegation is looking ahead to the 20th Asian Games with determination to give its best while representing the country.The 20th Asian Games officially run from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya. Vietnam is sending a 498-member delegation, led by Nguyen Hong Minh, deputy head of Vietnam's national sports authority.Nguyen Hong Minh said the athletes were in stable health and the entire delegation was ready for competition.Although teams are staying at multiple locations, creating challenges for coordination, management and responding to unexpected situations, the Vietnamese delegation has proactively developed plans to adapt to the organizational arrangements in Japan. Vietnam is fielding 348 athletes across athletics, swimming, weightlifting, shooting, rowing, canoeing, sepak takraw, karate, gymnastics, taekwondo, archery, boxing, wrestling, cycling, wushu, kurash, jujitsu, men's and women's indoor volleyball, men's and women's beach volleyball, men's and women's football, judo, golf, handball, badminton, fencing, sailing, teqball, esports, breaking and mixed martial arts.