The official mascot Honohon is displayed at Nagoya Station in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept 16. [Photo/IC]

China has named 54 athletes from Zhejiang to its delegation for the 20th Asian Games, which opens in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept 19 and runs through Oct 4.

The Zhejiang athletes will compete in 18 sports and 22 disciplines. The group includes six Olympic champions: swimmers Wang Shun, Pan Zhanle, and Xu Jiayu, badminton player Chen Yufei, canoeist Ji Bowen, and rhythmic gymnast Wang Lanjing.

Swimming remains one of Zhejiang's strongest sports. Nine swimmers from the province have made the national squad, matching the number at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Wang Shun will make his fifth Asian Games appearance and Xu Jiayu his fourth, while Pan Zhanle, Fei Liwei, and Yu Yiting are among those entered in multiple events.

Promotional posters for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are displayed at Nagoya Station in Nagoya on Sept 16. [Photo/IC]

Several established athletes will also represent Zhejiang in other sports. Sprinter Xie Zhenye is set for his fourth Asian Games, Chen Yufei will compete in women's singles badminton, and Wang Chang will partner Liang Weikeng in men's doubles. Ji Bowen will compete in canoe sprint, while shooters Han Jiayu and Wang Zifei are entered in multiple events.

A younger generation will also be in the spotlight. Seventeen-year-old sprinter Chen Yujie lowered the Asian under-20 record in the women's 100 meters to 11.08 seconds in August. Javelin thrower Yan Ziyi, 18, set the Asian record and the world under-20 record with a throw of 71.74 meters in May before winning the Diamond Trophy.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will feature 43 sports, 71 disciplines, and 469 events.