Asian Beach Games Photo: VCG

The 6th Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026 are scheduled to kick off on Wednesday night at the Sanya Asian Beach Games Park in South China's Hainan Province. The Games are expected to serve as a catalyst for urban development, organizers told the Global Times. 

Beach handball athlete Shen Ping and 3x3 basketball player Yan Peng will serve as China's flagbearers at the opening ceremony, the Chinese delegation announced on Monday.

The opening ceremony, themed around vitality, openness and joy, will be a visual spectacle rooted in maritime culture and framed by the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, breaking away from the traditional boundaries between performers and spectators in stadium ceremonies, Fan Rongli, an official with the publicity department of the Sanya Games organizing committee, told the Global Times. 

Leveraging the venue's unique bay setting, the team will employ a 3D visual system combining "waves, ground projections, and aerial rigging" to incorporate the audience area into the performance space, creating an immersive experience that feels almost within reach, said Wei Lai, executive producer of the opening ceremony. 

Following the principle of "promoting development through sports," organizers have leveraged the Games to upgrade urban infrastructure and governance. Eight competition venue clusters and one training venue have been developed using a "renovation over new construction" and "leasing over purchasing" approach, seamlessly integrated into the natural coastal landscape. The result is a coordinated enhancement of event operations, public services, and tourism, said the organizers.

This coordinated approach aims to advance urban development, improve public well-being, and boost the sports sector, making the city more livable and life more enjoyable, Xiang noted. 

To promote broad participation and access, the city has designed and launched more than 200 licensed Asian Beach Games merchandise products across 16 categories, now available both online and offline. The ticketing system is also live, with around 72,000 tickets released for 10 competition events, according to the organizers.

To enable more people to share in this major sporting event, the Games organizers have adopted an inclusive approach by introducing a public-friendly ticketing system. Ticket prices range from 30 yuan ($4.40) to 200 yuan, with an average price of just 80 yuan, said the organizers.

Due to venue constraints, five events, namely dragon boat, aquathlon, open water swimming, water polo, and sailing, will not offer tickets for sale. Residents and visitors can instead choose suitable viewing spots to watch these competitions free of charge.

The Games, set to run until April 30, will also be the first major international sporting event held on the island since the launch of island-wide special customs operations in December.

A total of 171 Chinese athletes will participate in 13 sports and 60 events, excluding beach kabaddi, marking the highest participation rate for China since it began taking part in the Games. 

About 1,800 athletes from 45 countries and regions will take part in the Games. The Games will feature 14 sports and 62 events, including 3x3 basketball, beach athletics, beach wrestling, beach soccer, beach handball, Jiu-Jitsu, sailing, and beach volleyball.