Riyadh: The Saudi swimming team began its campaign at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 today, competing in the opening day's events in Tokyo, where Emad Zapen and Zaid Alsarraj took part in the men's 100m freestyle, while Ali Alessa competed in the men's 100m backstroke.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Zapen clocked 49.81 seconds in the 100m freestyle heats, advancing to the second-chance race that qualifies swimmers for the final. However, the technical staff decided not to field him due to the short 15-minute recovery period between the two races. Alsarraj clocked 50.49 seconds in the same event, while Alessa recorded 57.35 seconds in the 100m backstroke.
In football, the Saudi under-21 national team resumed training today following its first-round match against Qatar.
In mixed martial arts, the Saudi team concluded its participation in the games after Malik Basahel lost 0-3 to his Kazakh opponent in the men's under-60kg quarterfinals, while Saud Almolhem lost by the same score to his Filipino opponent in the men's under-65kg competition.
In shooting, the Saudi national team will begin its campaign tomorrow with the first day of skeet qualifiers, represented by Prince Saud bin Alhassan, Saeed Al-Mutairi, and Fahad Alharbi.