UAE praised for historic medal haul in the 2026 Asian Games

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the United Arab Emirates National Olympic Committee, praised the success of the UAE athletes for their historic medal haul in the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

Team UAE won 13 medals, including seven gold, five silver and one bronze, confirming their highest ever ranking of 13th out of 45 participating countries, as well as winning seven goals for the first time in their history, having won a previous-high of five golds at the 2022 edition in China.

The UAE team also finished second among competing Arab countries, behind Bahrain who won 22 medals, including 11 golds.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour said the achievement reflects the determination of UAE athletes to raise the nation’s flag and their ambition to strengthen the country’s standing among Asia’s leading sporting nations.

The UAE was represented at the Games by a delegation of 165 athletes - 117 male and 48 female - competing in a variety of sports including athletics, swimming, taekwondo, padel, football, e-sports, equestrian (show jumping and dressage), cycling, archery, sailing, fencing, golf, shooting, judo, modern pentathlon, triathlon, jiu-jitsu, rugby and weightlifting.

The UAE's modern pentathlon and padel teams also made their first appearance in the history of the country's participation in the Asian Games.

Among the medal-winners was Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum, contributing to the UAE show jumping team’s silver medal, taking her career Asian Games medal tally to four.

Mariam Kareem won gold in the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.31 seconds, rewriting the Asian Games record and setting a new Asian U20 record, as well as recording the second-fastest time ever recorded in the women’s 400m hurdles within the U20 age group on the world stage.

Other gold medallists for team UAE were Kazbek Naguchev in the men’s under-73kg judo category, and jiu-jitsu athletes Balqees Abdulla, Khaled Al Shehhi, Ahmed Andeez, Mahdi Al Awlaqi and Asma Al Hosani.

Mansoor bin Mohammed: Heartfelt congratulations to the UAE’s champions on their outstanding achievements at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, securing the UAE’s highest-ever position in the medal tally since its first participation in 1978, with a 13th-place finish and a record… pic.twitter.com/68vfs0MEXs

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) October 4, 2026