Malaysia Will Send Three Hundred and Fifty Two Athletes to the Asian Games in Japan Aiming for Six Golds
Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari called the target realistic and stressed the importance of mental preparation for the athletes.
Malaysia will send 352 athletes and 185 officials to the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, which run from 19 September to 4 October, with a target of six gold, seven silver and 20 bronze medals, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari said on 14 September 2026.
The contingent will compete in 30 of the 43 sports and 156 of the 469 events on the programme. The medal target was set by chef de mission Datuk Sumali Reduan, and the minister described it as realistic based on an assessment of the athletes and the commitment of the sports associations, Bernama reported.
Of the 352 athletes, 15 come from the Road to Gold programme, 158 from the podium programme and 14 from the development programme, with 165 under sports association programmes. A total of 110 athletes are under 21. Officials identified 13 sports as potential medal sources: track cycling, badminton, archery, diving, squash, sepak takraw, hockey, athletics, sailing, karate, wushu, esports and shooting.
"Mental preparation is very, very important because anything can happen," Taufiq said, adding that the welfare of the contingent was being closely monitored because of unfavourable weather conditions in Japan. The Games are also seen as preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Badminton will be one focus. Men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani have said they are aiming for gold, which would be Malaysia's first badminton gold at the Asian Games since Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong won the men's doubles in Doha in 2006.