Ten athletes to watch as the Asian Games begin in Japan

The Asian Games officially get underway on Saturday in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with around 11,000 athletes competing in what is set to be the most star-studded edition yet. Sohail Malik counts down 10 of the biggest names to watch.

They include South Korean esports icon Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, Japanese javelin thrower and Paris Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi, Philippine gymnast Carlos Yulo, Chinese swimmer and world record holder Pan Zhanle, and badminton world number one An Se-young of South Korea.

Also featured are Chinese table tennis world number one Wang Chuqin, Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee, who is completing a remarkable comeback after surviving cancer, Pakistan's Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem, and India's Jasprit Bumrah, leading a star-studded squad defending its T20 cricket title.

Topping the list is the Philippines' Alex Eala, the 21-year-old tennis player who recently became the first from her country to win a WTA tour title and is expected to be one of the biggest draws in Japan.

Al Jazeera's Sohail Malik reports.

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