Why do Asian Games have more athletes than Olympics?

More than 11,000 athletes are competing at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, exceeding the 10,500 athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Asian Games feature 43 sports and 469 medal events, including regional sports like kabaddi and sepaktakraw. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) caps Olympic athlete field, with quotas intended to keep Games' overall size and costs under control.