Saudi Arabia's 144 Athletes at the 20th Asian Games: Build a Base That Travels

What Saudi Arabia is bringing to Aichi-Nagoya 2026

The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee has named 144 athletes across 19 national teams for the 20th Asian Games, as reported by Arab News Japan. The teams span athletics, 5x5 basketball, boxing, equestrian, esports, fencing, football, jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, mixed martial arts, padel, shooting, squash, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. To sharpen the group before the opening ceremony, a pre-Games training camp is set for Fuji, Japan from 29 August to 3 October, focused on 12 of those sports.

The Games run from 19 September to 4 October 2026 in Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya. Organisers have built the biggest programme in the event's history — 41 sports, 68 disciplines and 461 medal events, according to olympics.com. For Saudi Arabia it is the twelfth Asian Games appearance since the country first competed in 1978, and it arrives as sport participation across the Kingdom keeps climbing.

One base, many sports: what the squad list really shows

Line up 19 sports side by side and the differences are obvious — a squash player and a weightlifter do not train the same week. Look closer, though, and the same foundations sit under almost all of them. Nearly every athlete on that list needs usable strength, an engine that recovers quickly between efforts, joints that move freely, and the coordination to put it all together under pressure. Specialists spend years refining the top of that pyramid, but the base is shared — and the base is exactly what a beginner can build.

That is the useful takeaway for the rest of us. You do not have to choose a sport to start training well. A broad, transferable base makes you better at whatever you eventually pick, and it is the least wasteful way to train while you are still deciding. If you ever want to move from the treadmill to a boxing session, or from the gym floor to a padel court, the base is what lets you.

How to build a base that travels

Here is a simple, sport-agnostic way to build the foundation the Asian Games squads spent years on. None of it asks you to specialise yet.

1. Train the big movements. Push, pull, squat, hinge and carry, two or three times a week. Our exercise library breaks the main lifts down step by step so your form is safe before you add weight.
2. Build an engine. Mix steady aerobic work with a little higher-intensity conditioning. A structured HIIT session a couple of times a week teaches your body to recover between efforts — the quality every sport on the list rewards.
3. Protect your range of motion. Spend ten minutes on mobility after each session. Hips, shoulders and ankles that move freely are what keep you training instead of sitting out.
4. Add skill, then add a sport. Once the base is there, try something new. A group class is a low-pressure way to test what you enjoy before you commit to a single discipline.

Progress beats perfection. Add a little each week, keep the sessions you can actually repeat, and let the sport come to you. If you would rather not go it alone, a coach can shortcut months of guesswork — our personal trainers build exactly this kind of foundation with beginners every day.

Start Your Own Run to the Games

You will not be in Nagoya this month, but the base those 144 athletes rely on is open to anyone — and with Saudi sport growing fast around you, it is a good moment to begin. Build strength, an engine and honest mobility, then let your sport find you. When you are ready to train with equipment, classes and coaches under one roof, join GymNation and get moving.

Sources:
arabnews.jp
olympics.com
en.wikipedia.org

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.