Wu Yu Photo: VCG

With the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games set to officially open on Saturday, Chinese athletes are arriving in Japan as the Chinese delegation prepares to defend its dominant position on the Asian Games gold medal table for the 12th consecutive time.

The Games, set to run from Saturday to October 4, marks Japan's third time hosting the continental multi-sport event, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The competition has already begun in several sports, including football and basketball.

China sent 815 athletes to compete in 38 sports and 369 events. A total of 548 athletes are Asian Games debutants, while 306 have previously competed at either the Olympic Games or Asian Games, according to the Chinese Olympic Committee.

China has topped the Asian Games gold medal table at every edition since 1982. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, the Chinese delegation won a record 201 gold medals and finished atop both the gold and overall medal tables.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games is seen by the Chinese delegation as an important test in the new Olympic cycle leading toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The country's athletes began arriving in Japan this week. On Wednesday, the Chinese teams, including table tennis, badminton and gymnastics, arrived in Nagoya. The swimming team, meanwhile, has headed to Tokyo, where the swimming events of the Asian Games will be held at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre from September 20 to 25.

The swimming pool will be among the main stages for China's medal ambitions. Olympic champions, including Pan Zhanle and Qin Haiyang, are part of a strong Chinese swimming squad, while 13-year-old Yu Zidi is also expected to attract considerable attention after becoming the youngest swimming world championships medalist in history in 2025.

The opening ceremony on Saturday will have a particularly symbolic role for two Chinese athletes.

Female boxer Wu Yu and male basketball player Hu Mingxuan have been named flagbearers for the Chinese delegation. Wu, the reigning Olympic champion in the women's 50-kilogram division, will carry the Chinese flag alongside Hu, who captains China's men's basketball team at the Games.

Wu said she learned of the decision after training on Wednesday and described herself as "extremely excited" and "particularly proud."

"As flagbearers at the opening ceremony, behind us will be the entire Chinese sports delegation, as well as the expectations of our country and people," Wu told the Global Times on Thursday. "This identity has given me a deeper understanding that individual efforts are always rooted in collective honor, and individual dreams are always closely linked with the glory of the country."

Wu and Hu have been preparing separately and have not yet had an opportunity to speak with each other, Wu said. However, she is already looking forward to the moment when they raise the Chinese flag together.

"We come from different sports, but we share the same goal: to show the uplifting spirit of Chinese athletes," Wu said.

Wu enters the Games as one of China's most decorated boxers. After winning the women's 50kg title at the Paris Olympics in 2024, she completed a major championship sweep that also included world and Asian Games titles.

She will compete in the women's 51kg division in Nagoya and is aiming to reach the final.

"The goal of the Chinese boxing team has always been to raise the national flag and play the national anthem," Wu said. "We hope to turn the strength accumulated through our daily training into a wonderful performance in competition. We will adjust our mentality, take the pressure off and strive to win honor for our country."

For Hu, the flag-bearing honor comes just days before one of China's most closely watched contests of the Games.

China will face host Japan in the men's basketball semifinal on Friday after beating Saudi Arabia 87-78 in the quarterfinals. Hu played a key role in the decisive final minutes, scoring during China's late push to secure the victory.

The date also carries historical significance in China, as September 18 marks the anniversary of the 1931 Mukden Incident, when Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for attack. They bombarded Chinese barracks near Shenyang the same evening, beginning a large-scale invasion of northeast China. 

The semifinal therefore adds an unusual historical background to an already highly anticipated sports contest between the two neighboring countries. The other semifinal pits South Korea against Iran.

China's Asian Games campaign also produced an unexpected development on Thursday, when its women's cricket team was eliminated without playing a single ball.

China's quarterfinal against Bangladesh at Korogi Sports Park was abandoned because the outfield remained waterlogged following days of heavy rain. Under the tournament rules, Bangladesh, the higher-ranked team, advanced to the semifinals.

The incident also highlighted the weather challenges facing the Games. Heavy rain has disrupted some events and affected accommodation arrangements in the run-up to the opening ceremony, while a typhoon threat is being monitored.