The closing ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games today will bring down the curtain on another major edition of the continental showpiece. For Qatar, however, the countdown to the next Asian Games will begin in earnest.
When the Games return to Doha in 2030, they will arrive in a city that has changed enormously since it hosted the event for the first time in 2006. Qatar is no longer simply a country with ambitions to host major sporting events. It has spent more than two decades building the infrastructure, expertise and experience to stage them at the highest level.
That gives Doha a significant advantage as preparations gather pace. As Doha 2030 Asian Games Organising Committee CEO Dr. Ahmad Abdulla Al Buenain recently pointed out, “Today, we have the venues in place.” The focus, therefore, is not on a huge construction programme, but on making the best possible use of existing facilities, upgrading them where needed and ensuring they meet the requirements of different sports.
That approach also fits Qatar’s growing emphasis on sustainability and legacy. Al Buenain’s example of Al Janoub Stadium being transformed into a basketball arena for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 underlines how venues can serve different purposes long after their original construction. But infrastructure alone does not stage a successful Asian Games.
Qatar’s experience is equally important. Since 2006, the country has hosted a succession of world championships and major international events across football, athletics, swimming, handball, cycling, motorsport, equestrian sport and other disciplines. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was the biggest example, but it was part of a much longer journey of learning how to manage athletes, spectators, officials, media, transport, security and the many moving parts of a global sporting event.
Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is now adding another layer to that experience. Members of the Doha 2030 team have been observing the Games from the outset, working alongside their Japanese counterparts and studying both successful practices and challenges. That knowledge can help Doha refine its own plans rather than simply copy another host. The athlete experience will also matter greatly. Expectations have changed since 2006, and Qatar has the opportunity to use its infrastructure and technology to create a Games that is more connected, accessible and comfortable for athletes and spectators alike.
Tonight, Aichi-Nagoya will be history and the attention will then turn to Doha. Qatar will have almost four years to turn its considerable experience, infrastructure and ambition into another memorable Asian Games.
