From a 13-year-old swimming star and a 15-year-old cricket prodigy to a javelin thrower capable of launching the spear more than 92 meters, the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will feature a host of young athletes who have already made their mark on the international stage.
Ahead of the Asian Games opening on the 19th, AFP highlighted six of Asia’s rising athletes to watch.
In swimming, 13-year-old Chinese star Yu Zidi is among the athletes drawing attention. Yu won a bronze medal in the women’s 800-meter freestyle relay at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, becoming the youngest medalist in the history of the championships.
She also finished fourth in all three of her individual events at the competition, narrowly missing the medal podium. At the China Open Swimming Championships in Shenzhen in March, Yu won the women’s 200-meter butterfly, defeating American Olympic multi-gold medalist Regan Smith.
At the Asian Games, Yu will seek her first Asian Games gold medals in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys.
In tennis, 21-year-old Philippine player Alexandra Eala is one of the names to watch. In March, Eala defeated world No. 3 Jessica Pegula to win her first WTA Tour title. She also won a bronze medal at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou three years ago, when she was 18.
In men’s javelin, 23-year-old Sri Lankan thrower Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage is considered a leading contender. Pathirage recorded a throw of 92.62 meters at the World Athletics Rome Diamond League meet in June, setting the world’s best mark of the year at the time.
At last month’s Zurich meet in Switzerland, he threw 92.07 meters, becoming only the fourth athlete in history to record throws of at least 92 meters on two or more occasions.
Among the host nation’s athletes, 17-year-old breaststroke swimmer Shin Ohashi and 16-year-old gymnast Misa Nishiyama are attracting attention as potential next-generation stars.
Ohashi set a junior world record and the world’s fastest time of the year in the 200-meter breaststroke earlier this year. At the Asian Games, he is expected to face China’s Qin Haiyang in the battle for gold.
Nishiyama is a former 2025 junior world champion on floor exercise. This year, she won both the Japanese Championships and the NHK Trophy.
India’s 15-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi is also among the athletes generating excitement. Suryavanshi has drawn significant attention after becoming the youngest player ever selected for India’s national cricket team.