China look beyond medals at Asian Games
China has topped the medal table at the Asian Games on 11 consecutive occasions. While they are aiming for 12 in a row at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the success of their campaign in Japan will not be judged solely by the final tally of gold medals.
As the competition unfolds, the Games will test whether China can turn dominance in its traditional strongholds into a broader and more balanced sporting strength.
That means building greater depth in athletics, swimming and aquatic sports, and seeking improvement in football, basketball and volleyball.
China has sent 815 athletes as part of its 1,274-member delegation to compete in 38 sports and 369 events.
The athletes have an average age of 24, and 548 of them – nearly two-thirds of the team – are making their Asian Games debuts, placing generational renewal at the heart of the campaign.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which run from Sept 19 to Oct 4, will also offer a good indication of how the country’s competitiveness in a broad range of sports is evolving in the run-up to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The framework for that assessment is the “633” strategy set out in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for sports development, released by the General Administration of Sport of China in July.
Sports administrators’ stated goal is to build the country into a sports powerhouse.
The 633 plan places 12 sports into three categories. They are the six traditional strengths – diving, gymnastics, weightlifting, shooting, table tennis and badminton; three foundational sports – athletics, swimming and water sports; and the three major ball sports – football, basketball and volleyball.
At a State Council Information Office news conference in Beijing on Sept 3, Gao Zhidan, minister of the General Administration of Sport of China, said the country would “promote the comprehensive and balanced development of competitive sports”.
This, he said, requires a strategic shift from “making breakthroughs in key areas” to “comprehensive development” centered on the 633 sports during the five-year period.
The Aichi-Nagoya Games provide a snapshot of that transition, with different sports facing different questions – from maintaining established advantages and renewing talent to expanding the competitive base and rebuilding strength in the three major ball sports.
The plan calls for China to consolidate the foundations of its six traditional powerhouse sports and continue world-class standards. Yet each sport faces a different challenge in Nagoya.
For diving and table tennis, the immediate question is whether China’s commanding position in both sports can be maintained.
Olympic champions Chen Yiwen, Chen Yuxi and Wang Zongyuan head China’s diving team. China swept all 10 diving gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games and will again seek a clean sweep in Nagoya, while the development of the next generation of divers will also be closely watched.
China’s table tennis team features Olympic champions Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu and Wang Chuqin, all of whom are competing at their third Asian Games.
“The three Olympic champions pass on their experience to the seven young players, while the younger ones bring passion and drive to inspire the Olympic medalists,” team head coach Qin Zhijian said.
With Japan and the Republic of Korea among their main rivals, China will seek to maintain its overall advantage while also seeing how younger players handle a packed schedule and high-pressure matches.
Coach Qin said the Chinese table tennis team had to maintain a positive mindset when facing challenges at different stages, “getting stronger when facing stronger opponents”. “We will go all out for gold in all seven events at the Asian Games,” he said.
