2026 Asian Beach Games


The Sixth Asian Beach Games, known as the VI Asian Beach Games and commonly known as Sanya 2026, is due to be held from 22 to 30 April 2026 in Sanya, China. Sanya will be the second Chinese city to host the Asian Beach Games, after Haiyang in 2012.
Originally scheduled to be held from 28 November to 6 December 2020, on 10 August 2020, the Olympic Council of Asia announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games would be postponed to 2–10 April 2021. But on 31 December, the OCA announced another postponement, with the new dates of the Games to be announced later "by consultation between the stakeholders". On 18 May 2025, the OCA announced that the Sixth Asian Beach Games will now take place from April 22 to 30, 2026. The event marks the return of the Asian Beach Games after 10-year hiatus since the 2016 edition in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Development and preparation

Medals

The design for the Games' medals was unveiled on June 17, 2020. The inspiration for the design concept comes from an ancient Chinese poem "The bright moon rises above the sea, bringing us all together at this very moment".
The front of the medal is a circle symbolising the brilliance of the sun and the moon; within the circle is the emblem of the Games and the image of the Tianya rock formation representing the history and culture of Sanya, decorated the rest of the medal and depicts the natural scenery of Sanya – the sweeping bays, waves and beaches. The back of the medal features the Olympic Council of Asia logo, highlighted by the dragon, falcon and shining sun, and the side of the medal is engraved with the phrase "Welcome to Tianya Haijiao" in English.

Venues

The district of Tianya includes eight sports venues. It is home to the headquarters of the organizing committee, and the Sanya Phoenix International Airport. The district of Jiyang includes seven sports venues. It is also home to the athletes' village, built alongside a new sports complex featuring a 45,000 seat stadium.

The Games

Sports

On 11 April 2019, the Olympic Council of Asia initially announced that the Games would feature 93 events in 19 sports, though three sports, ju-jitsu, teqball and beach woodball, were added later. In September 2025, the number of events was reduced to 63 in 14 sports. Beach woodball, powerboat, powered paragliding and surfing were dropped.

Calendar

All times and dates use China Standard Time.
OCOpening ceremony●Event competitions1Event finalsCCClosing ceremony

Participation

All 45 National Olympic Committees who are members of the Olympic Council of Asia are expected to send delegations.
Australia, Cook Islands, Solomon Island, Tahiti and New Zealand from Oceania has invited to the games.
Participating National Olympic Committees

  • Afghanistan|2026 Asian Beach Games

Marketing

Logo

The emblem features blue, green, yellow and orange colour blocks shaped into the number 6 to represent the sixth edition of the Asian Beach Games.
The image of a coconut tree, an athlete and a deer combines the concept of ocean, beach, sport and the tropical landscape together with the symbol of Sanya city. The shining sun emblem of the OCA is prominent in the design.
The English slogan “See Ya in Sanya!” is a catchphrase for visitors from around the world. It represents the relaxed and family-oriented concept of the beach and sea sports festival.

Mascot

The mascot of the games is called Yaya, who is an eld's deer in beach clothing. The first character of the name comes from Sanya, and the second one from Yazhou, which is the Chinese word for Asia, representing the dynamic, interconnected and inter-dependent relationship among Sanya, Asia and other parts of the world.