Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Olympic Committee, expressed admiration for the exceptional performance of the UAE sports delegation at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. This performance marked the best in the country's history since its debut at the Asian Games in 1978.
In the overall medal tally among 45 participating nations, the continental sporting tournament concluded in Japan, where the UAE secured 13th place. Sheikh Mansour noted that this success demonstrates the determination of UAE athletes to raise their nation's flag and their strong desire to strengthen the country's position among leading Asian sporting powers. He emphasized that this is just the beginning, and the UAE team still has many achievements ahead.
Sheikh Mansour particularly commended the UAE athletes for winning seven gold medals, which is a first in the country's history at the Asian Games. He called this result worthy of all recognition. Furthermore, he highlighted the outstanding achievements of Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum in equestrian competitions and the consistently high level she maintained throughout her participation in the continental event.
At the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Sheikha Latifa contributed to the UAE team's silver medal in show jumping, bringing her total number of Asian Games medals to four. Sheikh Mansour stated that Sheikha Latifa's exceptional competitiveness and multiple podium finishes across different Games are an example of the qualities of Emirati athletes, demonstrating her determination, experience, and ability to perform at the highest level while representing the nation with honor.
Previously, Sheikha Latifa won a bronze medal in the team event at the Doha Games in 2006, followed by a silver in the team event and an individual silver at the Guangzhou Games in 2010, adding another team silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya. Her four Asian Games medals put her on par with Kuzandria Nur Mahamad Fatil from Malaysia in terms of medals won by a female equestrian athlete in Asian Games history.
Sheikh Mansour also highly praised the UAE team's performance in show jumping after securing a team silver medal, as well as the individual silver medal won by Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi on the final day of the competition. He approved of the consistently strong performances of UAE jockeys during the Games and their ability to compete for the podium.
He also lauded the outstanding achievement of UAE athlete Mariam Karim, who won gold in the women's 400-meter hurdles race with a time of 54.31 seconds, setting an Asian Games record and a new Asian junior record under 20 years old. Karim's performance also marked the second fastest time ever recorded in the women's 400-meter hurdles for the under-20 age group on the world stage, highlighting her exceptional athletic abilities at a young age.
Sheikh Mansour emphasized the determination and resilience demonstrated by Karim at the Games. Previously, she participated as part of the UAE mixed 4x400m relay team, which was contending for a medal before her chances diminished in the final stages of the race. Karim then returned to deliver an exceptional performance in the 400-meter hurdles, winning gold, illustrating the strength of character required to overcome difficult moments and turn them into motivation for new achievements.
Concluding her best performance in the history of the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, the UAE ranked 13th in the medal table among 45 participating countries and second among Arab nations. This historic result reflects the ongoing progress of UAE sports at the continental level. At the close of the Games, the UAE won 13 medals: seven gold, five silver, and one bronze. The country also reached its highest level of gold medal acquisition at the Games, winning seven disciplines, surpassing the previous maximum of five gold medals at the Hangzhou Games.
Among the UAE gold medalists were Mariam Karim in the women's 400-meter hurdles, Kazbek Naguchev in the men's judo up to 73 kg category, and judo athletes Balkis Abdulla, Khaled Ash-Shehhi, Ahmed Andiz, Mahdi Al Awlaki, and Asma Al Hosani. UAE silver medalists included Sulaiman Abdulrahman in athletics, Al Anoud Al Harbi and Omar Al Suwaidi in judo, the UAE show jumping team, and Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi in individual show jumping. Ammar Al Hosani, who won a bronze medal in judo, also contributed to the UAE's overall tally.
Equestrian sports added another medal to the UAE's count on the final day of the Games, when Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi won silver in individual show jumping after a strong round jump, finishing with four penalty points in 41.93 seconds. Previously, the UAE had won silver in the team show jumping event. Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzouki placed sixth in the individual competition on the horse Enjoy De La Mure, and Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum placed seventh on Cornet XL.
At the 20th Asian Games, held in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026, the UAE was represented by a contingent of 165 people, including 117 men and 48 women, competing in a wide range of sports. UAE athletes participated in athletics, swimming, taekwondo, padel, football, esports, equestrian sports (show jumping and dressage), cycling, archery, sailing, fencing, golf, shooting, judo, modern pentathlon, triathlon, jiu-jitsu, rugby, and weightlifting.
The Games gathered over 11,000 athletes, as well as about 6,000 coaches and officials representing 45 countries, over 16 days of competition. The overall program of the Asian Games included 43 sports, 71 disciplines, and 469 events, making it the second-largest multi-sport event in the world after the Summer Olympics.
