NAGOYA - Men's basketball kicked off competitive action at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, ahead of the opening ceremony on Sept. 19.
Qatar beat Iran 59-53 in Group B at Nagoya's IG Arena in the opening game, as Japan hosts the Asian Games for the first time since 1994 in Hiroshima.
Japan will play Indonesia in Group A in their opener later in the day.
Over 15,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions are set to take part in the quadrennial continental games, to be held mainly in Nagoya and other cities in Aichi Prefecture in central Japan through Oct. 4.
Some events will be held in neighboring Gifu and Shizuoka prefectures as well as in Tokyo and Osaka.
Japan is hosting the Asian Games for the third time having held its first in Tokyo in 1958.
