Asian Games 2026: PT Usha Meets OCA President Sheikh Joaan At Welcome Reception Ahead Of Opening Ceremony

New Delhi: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha attended the official welcome reception for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she met Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and other members of the Asian sporting fraternity.

Sharing pictures from the gathering on X, Usha described the evening as an opportunity to connect with the OCA leadership and members of the wider sporting community.

“A wonderful evening connecting with the OCA President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and the esteemed members of the OCA Family at the official welcome reception. Together, we continue to pave the way for the growth and excellence of sports across Asia,” Usha wrote in an X post.

The reception was held ahead of the Asian Games opening ceremony, scheduled for Saturday at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will bring together athletes from across the continent, with India set to compete in multiple sporting disciplines.

Olympic Council of Asia President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani also led the 110th OCA Executive Board meeting in Nagoya, Japan, prior to the Asian Games.

The meeting covered preparations for upcoming OCA events, including the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Riyadh 2026, the Asian Beach Games in Cebu 2028, and the Asian Winter Games in Almaty 2029.

India’s campaign at the Asiad got underway ahead of Saturday’s opening ceremony, with action already underway in Teqball and Cricket. Mohammad Anas Imran Beg and Declan Marshall Gonsalves were eliminated from the men’s doubles after losing both their Group B matches, going down 0-2 to Vietnam and South Korea.

Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza, meanwhile, advanced to the women’s singles semifinals after topping Group A with wins over Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto and Cambodia’s Koemyean DY. She then lost 1-2 to Indonesia’s Ima Sumaya in the semifinal and will now compete in the bronze-medal match against Sakamoto.

India are also competing in the mixed doubles event, with Quimcy-Imran Beg to play for the bronze medal after a repechage win. India’s women’s cricket team have also begun their campaign, with the sport among the events getting underway before the official opening ceremony.

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