<p>The Asian Games torch arrived in host city Incheon today, two days before the opening ceremony that will formally inaugurate the two-week competition featuring almost 10,000 athletes.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The torch will be stored overnight in the port city west of South Korea's capital Seoul before being carried on the final legs of its 6,000-kilometer (3,700-mile) journey around South Korea set to culminate in Friday night's opening ceremony featuring "Gangnam Style" singer PSY and Chinese pianist Lang Lang.<br /><br />The football tournament began Sunday and Japan, the defending men's champion, already has posted a victory over Kuwait. The Japanese men play their second game against Iraq, which took silver at the 1996 Asian Games and opened the 2014 tournament with a 4-0 win over Nepal.<br /><br />Among other matches, host South Korea plays Saudi Arabia, both of which won their first matches.<br /><br />South Korea's women's team, who were third at the last Asian Games, play India, a day after North Korea, runners-up to Japan in 2010, opened their campaign with a resounding 5-0 win over Vietnam.<br /><br />Local fans have been cheering for North Korea's footballers, despite ongoing tensions on the divided peninsula dating from the 1950-1953 Korean War that ended in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.<br /><br />South Korea bans open displays of the North Korean flag, but has made an exception for official Asian Games venues.<br /><br />Athletes from the Far East to the Middle East are competing in 42 sports at the Asian Games, a key testing ground for many of them ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.<br /><br />China has sent the largest contingent of nearly 900 athletes and is again expected to top the medal standings. Tiny Brunei has the smallest delegation, with just 11 athletes.<br /><br />Political rivalry is adding another dimension to the competition between the two Koreas, as well as between Japan and China, who are locked in a feud over territorial claims and interpretations of their shared history. Syria, Pakistan and the Palestinian team are taking part despite political upheaval at home.</p>
<p>The Asian Games torch arrived in host city Incheon today, two days before the opening ceremony that will formally inaugurate the two-week competition featuring almost 10,000 athletes.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The torch will be stored overnight in the port city west of South Korea's capital Seoul before being carried on the final legs of its 6,000-kilometer (3,700-mile) journey around South Korea set to culminate in Friday night's opening ceremony featuring "Gangnam Style" singer PSY and Chinese pianist Lang Lang.<br /><br />The football tournament began Sunday and Japan, the defending men's champion, already has posted a victory over Kuwait. The Japanese men play their second game against Iraq, which took silver at the 1996 Asian Games and opened the 2014 tournament with a 4-0 win over Nepal.<br /><br />Among other matches, host South Korea plays Saudi Arabia, both of which won their first matches.<br /><br />South Korea's women's team, who were third at the last Asian Games, play India, a day after North Korea, runners-up to Japan in 2010, opened their campaign with a resounding 5-0 win over Vietnam.<br /><br />Local fans have been cheering for North Korea's footballers, despite ongoing tensions on the divided peninsula dating from the 1950-1953 Korean War that ended in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.<br /><br />South Korea bans open displays of the North Korean flag, but has made an exception for official Asian Games venues.<br /><br />Athletes from the Far East to the Middle East are competing in 42 sports at the Asian Games, a key testing ground for many of them ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.<br /><br />China has sent the largest contingent of nearly 900 athletes and is again expected to top the medal standings. Tiny Brunei has the smallest delegation, with just 11 athletes.<br /><br />Political rivalry is adding another dimension to the competition between the two Koreas, as well as between Japan and China, who are locked in a feud over territorial claims and interpretations of their shared history. Syria, Pakistan and the Palestinian team are taking part despite political upheaval at home.</p>