Korea to send 100 athletes to 2026 Games

North Korea will send about 100 athletes to the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The delegation will compete in 14 sports, including football, weightlifting, boxing and wrestling. Senior official Ko Chol-ho said the team aims to bring joy to Marshal Kim Jong-un.

The announcement came from Ko Chol-ho, secretary general of the North Korean Olympic Committee, during an interview with the pro-North Korean newspaper Choson Sinbo in Pyongyang. He told the outlet that the country’s participation in international sport had been suspended during the Covid pandemic but that North Korea returned to the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023 and also took part in the Paris Olympics.

The 2026 delegation will include men’s and women’s football teams, weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, karate and other sports. Two Japan-based ethnic Koreans will compete in women’s football and karate, adding a unique element to the squad. The team’s roster can be viewed on the squad page, where each athlete’s profile is listed.

Compared with the 2023 Games, the 2026 delegation will be smaller. In Hangzhou, North Korea sent a larger team and secured 11 gold medals. Despite the reduced size, Ko Chol-ho expressed confidence that the athletes would achieve even greater results this year.

The official emphasized that the delegation is driven by a strong desire to meet the expectations of the country and its people. “We are making every effort to live up to the expectations of our nation and to bring even more success to the upcoming Games,” Ko said, a statement that was published on Tuesday.

Performance data for the Games will be tracked in the stats section, where medal counts and individual results will be updated as the competition unfolds. Fans can follow the progress of each sport and see how the North Korean athletes fare against their regional rivals.

The 2026 Asian Games will take place in Nagoya and the surrounding Aichi region next month. North Korea’s athletes are preparing to represent their country on a continental stage, hoping to deliver a medal haul that will satisfy the leadership and the public alike.