Kaohsiung: President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday highlighted expanded medical and rehabilitation services and increased support staffing for Taiwan's athletes at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, saying the Ministry of Sports (MOS) is "making every effort" to support them. Speaking at a flag-presentation ceremony at the Taiwan Sports Training Center, Lai noted that the delegation headquarters will now include 53 support personnel, up from around 40 in the past, encompassing medical staff, rehabilitation specialists, and athletic therapists.
According to Focus Taiwan, the staffing at the delegation's support stations has also seen a significant increase, rising from around 13 personnel in the past to 42 this year. These facilities, separate from the headquarters, offer athletes services such as training, recovery, medical care, and meals. The MOS's efforts aim to provide optimal support for the athletes, Lai emphasized.
Set to open on September 19, the 20th Asian Games will feature a 740-member Taiwan delegation supported by the MOS. Established in September 2025, the ministry is led by inaugural minister Lee Yang, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in badminton men's doubles. Lai also addressed the athletes, stating he would not set a medal target for the Games, which is Asia's largest sporting event. Instead, he encouraged them to focus on their individual performances, noting that the country's overall results would naturally improve if athletes bettered their previous performances.
Competing under the name Chinese Taipei, Taiwan's 482 athletes will participate in 34 sports across Japan, primarily in Aichi Prefecture and its capital Nagoya, with some events taking place in Tokyo and other regions. Notable athletes in the delegation include Olympic boxing gold medalist Lin Yu-ting, Olympic weightlifting gold medalist Kuo Hsing-chun, Olympic judo silver medalist Yang Yung-wei, and Olympic gymnastics silver medalist Lee Chih-kai.
Taiwan's best gold-medal tally at a single Asian Games is 19, achieved at both the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Taiwan finished sixth in the overall medal standings at both editions.