▲ A scene from a Virtual Taekwondo match
'Virtual Taekwondo,' which utilizes virtual reality (VR) technology, will be held as an official event at the Summer Asian Games for the first time.
The Organizing Committee for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held a board meeting in Nagoya, Japan, on June 16 and decided to adopt Virtual Taekwondo as an official event of the games.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) subsequently approved the decision.
Virtual Taekwondo is a discipline that combines Taekwondo techniques with cutting-edge VR technology.
According to World Taekwondo (WT), athletes wear VR headsets and motion-tracking sensors to compete in a virtual arena without physical contact.
Wearing five motion sensors attached to their upper body, knees, and calves, athletes compete within a 4-meter by 4-meter arena.
Each match lasts for 60 seconds.
Similar to a fighting game, the winner is determined by depleting the opponent's 'power gauge' or by having more remaining gauge at the end of the match.
Each match is played as a best-of-three series.
For this tournament, the event will be held as a mixed-gender individual competition for athletes aged 17 to 35.
Sixteen athletes will participate in a tournament format to determine the winner.
The matches are scheduled to take place on October 2 at the Toyohashi City General Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, where the Kyorugi (sparring) and Poomsae events will also be held.
This year's Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4.
The greatest feature of Virtual Taekwondo is its inclusivity.
Athletes compete on equal footing regardless of age or gender.
World Taekwondo has been working toward the adoption of Virtual Taekwondo as an official Asian Games event.
Virtual Taekwondo first debuted on the international stage at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Esports Series held in Singapore in 2023.
The 1st Virtual Taekwondo World Championships, held in Singapore in November 2024, saw over 120 athletes from 23 countries participate, demonstrating the rapid growth and popularity of the sport.
World Taekwondo stated, "The adoption of Virtual Taekwondo as an official event for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games reflects the federation's commitment to the continuous development and innovation of Taekwondo, youth engagement, and the future of sports."
However, despite the addition of Virtual Taekwondo as an official event, the total number of gold medals for Taekwondo at this year's Asian Games has decreased from 13 at the 2022 Hangzhou Games (11 in Kyorugi, 2 in Poomsae) to 11 (8 in Kyorugi, 2 in Poomsae, and 1 in Virtual Taekwondo).
Meanwhile, 'Padel,' which combines elements of tennis and squash, and 'Teqball,' which blends soccer and table tennis, have also been added as official events for this year's Asian Games.
(Photo: Courtesy of World Taekwondo, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.