Daijiworld Media Network - Nagoya
Nagoya, Sep 19: A typhoon threat is building over Japan as the 2026 Asian Games move into the main medal-event phase, raising the possibility of delays or postponements around September 21.
Japan's chef de mission for the Games and Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) executive board member Kosei Inoue said organisers were preparing for possible weather-related disruptions caused by Typhoon Dujuan.
“Due to the heavy rain and severe weather, some competitions have already experienced delays or postponements, and there is also a possibility that a typhoon could approach on September 21,” Inoue told reporters. He said the JOC was holding thorough meetings to ensure it was prepared to respond appropriately.
The Asian Games officially begin in Nagoya on Saturday, September 19, although some competitions, including women's cricket, soft tennis and teqball, had already begun before the opening ceremony.
According to Japanese media reports, Typhoon No. 25, named Dujuan, was moving west near Chichijima island and could approach the Pacific coast of eastern Japan on September 20-21. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the storm could turn northward and then northeastward, bringing heavy rain from eastern Japan to the northeastern Tohoku region.
Rainfall over the 24-hour period through noon on September 21 could reach up to 200 mm in the Kanto region and the Izu Islands. Residents along the Pacific coast from the Tokai to Tohoku regions, as well as the Izu Islands, have been advised to remain alert for landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and rising river levels.
Dujuan was moving west-northwest at around 40 kmph about 310 km southeast of Chichijima island on Friday. The typhoon had a central pressure of 975 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds of 108 kmph near the centre and gusts of up to 162 kmph.
The typhoon is expected to move east of the Kanto region by the morning of September 21 before moving towards the ocean east of Japan and weakening into an extratropical cyclone by September 22. Rain is expected in Tokyo as the system moves away.
Nagoya and Osaka are expected to experience mostly cloudy conditions, although the weather forecast for Nagoya is less severe than that for Tokyo.
The weather situation is important for India as several outdoor competitions are scheduled during the period. India's women's cricket team is defending the gold medal it won at the Hangzhou Asian Games, with the women's tournament running from September 17 to 22.
India's women's cricket team is scheduled to face Bangladesh in the semifinal, while several other Indian athletes are set to compete in medal and medal-round events during September 20 and 21.
India's schedule includes wushu finals, teqball bronze-medal matches, the men's soft tennis team semifinal against Japan, shooting finals, swimming medal events and mixed martial arts semifinal bouts.
Among the key events on September 20 are the men's changquan final featuring Suraj Singh Mayanglambam, the women's singles and mixed doubles teqball bronze-medal matches, the men's soft tennis semifinal against Japan and the women's 10m air rifle final involving Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsha Vinod, subject to qualification.
The women's cricket semifinal between India and Bangladesh is also scheduled for September 20.
On September 21, India's schedule includes the women's changquan final featuring Nyeman Wangsu and the men's 10m air rifle final involving Rudrankksh Patil, Parth Mane and Himanshu Dhillon, subject to qualification. Indian swimmers and mixed martial artists are also scheduled to compete in medal and medal-round events.
Rain interruptions could have a particular impact on cricket, where wet outfields and persistent showers can delay tosses, shorten matches or force games to be abandoned.
There is no indication yet of a major disruption to the overall Asian Games schedule. However, organisers and participating teams are closely monitoring the weather as the typhoon could bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Japan during the crucial medal period.